The King of Dust
by DarkDragonDave
Summary: This is the way the world ends...
1. Echoes

**Blood Scrawled Notes:**This… This fic is the result of two years of planning. It was going to be my originally intended debut but I realized that I wasn't near ready to release this and I wanted to get this just right. So instead I whipped up the crapfest that was "Bard Moon Rising" (I'd recommend it if it weren't for the fact I dislike it) with one of my second string characters, Peten Falson. Over the years, the original characters within began to flesh themselves out, with the exception of one who was already "fleshed" out to begin with.

I own only my original characters within.

**The King of Dust**

_There is a two-fold Silence -- sea and shore --  
Body and soul. One dwells in lonely places,  
Newly with grass o'ergrown; some solemn graces,  
Some human memories and tearful lore,  
Render him terrorless: his name's "No More."_

_--From Edgar Allen Poe's, "Silence"_

**Chapter One: Echoes**

Negi Springfield is a boy, a wizard-in-training, and 8 years old. He is free from classes today and has decided to go into the woods near his school. The cool, clean air sweeps past, rustling the leaves of the trees and the tall grass beneath them. The dew from the morning is still clinging to the unkempt grass, droplets flying free and landing on his coat as he brushes past. The red haired boy had been told that this section of the woods is close enough to the school to prevent monsters from lurking. He had ditched Anya earlier, just before coming outside. Being friends is all well and good, but sometimes it is good to get time to be yourself.

The moss covered trees look inviting as he walks deeper into the woods. The sound of birdsong is surprisingly quieter than usual. Perhaps today is one of those still days where everything is peaceful and sleepy. The boy climbs on top a large root and sits down for a bit, observes the sunlight streaming down through the leaves with the wonder only a child can muster. He has yet to become a world weary adult. After a few minutes, he stands up again and hops down off the root and continues on his journey. There is a flowering plant on his right as he moves around a large stray rock. Stop and smell the roses, or whatever they say.

"They smell so sweet," he thinks. "Perhaps Anya would like one after our argument yesterday…"

Yesterday, there was a book they both wanted to read about magical creatures and Negi got a hold of it first. He kept it to himself, mostly out of childish playing but she seemed quite upset with that. She should be reading it right now… a book of dragons. Their physiology, their outlook on life, their religions, language… which was harder than it looks with its hard consonants, everything you could ever want to know. But there haven't been any actual True Dragons in the human worlds in a long time. Their exodus is well known and is, in fact, one of the many reasons lots of mages work to make their worlds a better place. It is also why others prefer to cause strife.

It is thought that by becoming a perfect example of a True Dragon, one can achieve some kind of reward from them. Evil people follow the examples of the Chromatic Dragons and the good follow the examples of the Metallic Dragons. Others think this is a load of garbage. Either way, they haven't been seen in many generations.

He stops to take a deep breath of the cool spring air, still carrying a slight hint of winter's chill. His breath is visible yet, but not as much as in a deep winter freeze. The wisp swiftly fades away.

A rustling from his right draws his attention which is soon followed by a gusty breeze. He decides to ignore the sound as a precursor to the breeze, but the wind carries with it the sounds of combat and shifting sand. This isn't normal and it certainly looks like today will not be as peaceful and sleepy as he previously thought. Rushing to the sounds of combat and flowing sand, he runs.

He runs for what he feels like is forever and finally comes upon a girl, no older than 15, with long, sky-blue hair, and clad in armor. The light from the sun is much brighter here as the surrounding trees are withered and dead, their leaves long since turned to dust from rot. The light reflected brightly off the metal, or rather, what is left of it. The child sees that the left side of her armor is shattered and there is a gaping wound underneath. Most of her left side is bloody, and he is certain there is a rib protruding.

Just across from her is a monster.

A monster wearing a black robe so dark it is to be thought of as being made from the night itself. In sharp contrast was that of its snout, very beak-like in its appearance, two scaly protrusions on either side of the chin, pointing down and in. Pale white scales gave it the contrast to the deep black of its cloak. What flesh lies beneath is obviously drawn tight over the beast's skull, with hollow indentions in its nasal area. From its lips spring three teeth on either side, yellowed fangs that look at home where they sit.

Then the poor child makes the mistake of locking eyes with the monster. All at once, his world seems to come to a halt. Where there would be… should have been eyes, there was only a bright red light, the back of its eye sockets visible, flaring white and focusing into mere pinpricks when he looks at the young boy. The sensation he's receiving from the monster is overwhelming. As if time and space are colliding in harmony with hate and violence with an underlying hint of order. Negi wants to run, to fall, to die. Anything to get away from this feeling. Quickly forming in the corners of his eyes, tears begin to fall down Negi's cheeks as his breath falters.

The dark monster steps slowly towards him while sniffing the air, it nostrils flaring to let in more air. The child remembers that certain creatures, like dogs for example, have a better sense of smell than a human. Stopping suddenly, its mouth opens up and it lets out a quiet snarl that promises only death. Black fumes puff forth from the decayed mouth, wholly unlike the white exhalation that came from the boy earlier.

Sunlight glinting off of it through the dead trees, the monster raises its right hand, which is clad in a clawed gauntlet. Hooks along the back of the finger joints and nine scalpel-like blades along the back of the hand make it look ready for battle. Reaching out, the monster's hand is suddenly knocked away by a bright blast of light. The blast seems to have blown the monster's hand clear off. The claw lay motionless on the ground.

The injured girl is up against a tree with her palm aimed forward. "Do not dare touch that child, you bastard! Your hand shall not claim another victim, especially one so young."

Breaking the lock, the monster turns to its previous victim. Negi snaps out of his trance and falls back, landing in a sitting position and using his legs to slide away. He is too scared to try and flee for that may bring the attention of that nightmare upon him once again. He shivers in fear, worrying about his possible end and too scared to wet himself.

"Of course, how could I have been so ignorant?" asks the monster, tilting his head ever so slightly to the right. His cold calculating voice scares the hell out of the boy. It sounds like many voices and yet one voice, intelligent, deep, cold, mysterious, persuasive, and dark. Briefly, Negi imagines this must be what a part of hell feels like. The monster picks the claw up with his left hand and slides it back into the sleeve of the black cloak. It emerges a moment later like it hadn't been blown off.

The black cloaked beast walks forward, kneels down, and places his gauntlet wearing right hand on her chest, grabbing her exposed right breast. Mocking a frown, he says, "So soft, aww," but quickly smiles again. Black energy shoots across her surface causing her to arch back and shout in pain. "Simply die and then you will not care what happens. It is as simple as that. It benefits us both. You will no longer be in pain and I will get quite a bit of fuel for my spells and I shall take my right place."

* * *

Back at the school, Anya Cocolova hears a scream, ever so faintly come in from the forest. Making the wrong choice, she heads out into the woods alone rather than alerting someone.

* * *

Back in the forest, the girl with the sky-blue hair strikes the monster's hand away and aims her open palm at him, causing him to hop back. "I shall not go as you like, for I protect these people as is my duty and my honor, set upon me by my father. I send thee hence beast. I may be too weak to deal with you now, but I will find you. I will destroy you! The pain and suffering you cause will end!" she commands. A strange energy flows from her open palm and coalesces into an orb. "Then I shall go and fix everything you have broken, all the lies, all the darkness you have wrought. Everything you've done will be for naught!" With an electrical screech, the orb flies off.

While she speaks, the night robed monster hold his hand up, forming a swarm of sand above his open palm, swirling and shifting into a long javelin shape. With a small utterance, blue fire ripples up the surface of the sand, leaving glass in its wake. Three more glass javelins form from the monster's sand and fire. He throws them at the same time she fires off her orb. With the sound of sick impact, they pin her to a nearby tree.

The girl's orb impacts with the monster and enwraps him, making him strain against some unknown force. Suddenly his form melts into that of a cloud of what the boy assumes is sand. Several tendrils of sand shoot forth, solidify long enough to pierce the girl's chest in several places making blood issue forth. Negi watches as the metal gauntlet the beast has rises up from the surface of the sand and seemingly absorbs the blood of the girl. After it mops up all it can, the tendrils take the claw back and the beast reforms back into its former self. "Think about your actions… all those people alive? The world is already overpopulated. I am doing the world a ser…"

With a puff of nothingness, the beast disappears.

Shortly after watching the monster fade away, Negi snaps out of it and runs to the mostly armor clad girl. "Miss? Miss? Are you okay?" Negi asks in a state of panic. "I should go get some help!"

Straining against them, the girl removes the glass javelins one–by–one, gritting her teeth with each one she removes, blood issuing forth with each javelin. She slides down the tree, scraping off some moss and leaving a trail of red as she slides. Dripping blood from her wounds and covered in sweat, she asks the boy in front of her, "What's more important is… are you okay?"

"You're the one who has been injured!" exclaims the boy.

The girl smiles and slumps over, the metal of her armor remnants rattling when she hits the ground. "Just… let me rest a moment. I'll be…" she closes her eyes. Slowly, a pool of blood forms beneath her.

Negi doesn't know what to do. If he leaves, she'll likely die and end up as food for the forest animals. If he stays, she will die. He can think of no way to solve this. He realizes she's going to die and there's no way he can help. If he were a greater mage then maybe he could help. He begins to cry as he realizes the futility of the situation. "I'm sorry… I… I… can't help."

After walking quite a distance through the forest, Anya Cocolova finds Negi sniffling over the body of a half naked girl… a half naked girl with blood on her. "What are you doing?"

Looking up at his friend, tears streaking down his face, "Quickly, go get some help! She's going to die!" he commands.

"What?"

"She's going to die if we don't get any help and I can't just let her stay here. Now go!"

Unable to fully grasp what's going on Anya heads back at full speed.

* * *

An hour later the blue haired girl is in a bed, bandaged up and still asleep in a quiet room with dim lighting. Two people, a doctor and a nurse, are speaking outside of the room.

"I'm amazed she's still alive."

"'Er heart was just as strong as could be. An 'er wounds practically healed themselves."

"Really?"

"It's like she's nae even human," his voice carried with it a grim portent. "She cannae be, nae with those regenerative capabilities."

"Did you run a blood sample?"

"Nae yet. But we hope tae find out what allows this soon. Whether it be magic or something else. And I happened to take 'er ribbon tae run a hair sample as well."

* * *

While she is taken to a hospital, Negi is taken to be questioned about why he was found over the bloody body of a girl in the woods. They ask him what happened, what was said, the kinds of things you'd get from a police investigation. They offer the shaken boy a glass of water, which he gladly accepts.

"Can you at least describe the attacker to us?" asks the highest ranking mage of the school.

"He was horror, and nightmares, and… and evil. Pure evil…" Negi says.

"We need a physical description," says the wizened mage gently. "Can you do that?"

Negi sniffs a bit. "O- okay… He was clad all in black. A white pointy mouth was one of his striking features. And his eyes, red glowing light. I think he may have had a tail covered in white scales too. He wore a clawed gauntlet on his right hand and his left hand was ungloved. His claws were a slight yellow color with a greenish tinge towards the finger." A mage behind him uses magic to draw what Negi describes. "When I met his eyes I found I couldn't move. I wanted to run but I fell back and couldn't do it."

The mage finishes up and hold up the picture to the boy. It is a drawing of a black clad thing with a white beak-like protrusion from its facial area. "That's him! That was what killed that forest girl." Nightmares and death given form and motivation.

The elder mage takes the image and looks on in frustration. "_This thing doesn't even look human. Maybe some kind of rogue element from the magic world,_" thinks the Magus. He says to the boy, "Perhaps you were being fooled and you only think this is the one you saw?"

Negi defies the old man and protests, "No! He's the one who killed her! I saw him do it!"

The child would have no reason to lie. Though the fear of the situation may have warped his perception… "Listen," he tells another mage near him, "put out an all points bulletin on this monster. We may have an escapee from Magic Mundus."

"That girl… she sent him away. I don't know what she did but she fired a white orb at him, after that he attacked her by turning into a bunch of sand. She had said something about time," Negi explains, "before she died from her wounds."

The doctor who attended the girl comes in and whispers into the ear of the elder mage. The elder mage's face lightens up at the news.

He leans down to deliver the good news to the boy. "The girl you found is perfectly fine. So whoever it was can't be all bad as they couldn't even kill a knight."

This visibly cheers the boy up. "Where is she?" The doctor tells him and he bolts from the room.

Looking down and away from the sketch, the elder comments to himself, "A nightmare spoken of only in hushed tones, even amongst the greatest mages. Killed a thousand times never to die. Each passing era, every death, makes him stronger."

"Sir?" asks the sketch artist.

"I am just thinking of that time a few years ago, with that murdered student and an old tale my grandfather told me about my great grandfather and a monster he talked about that looked kind of like this. We mostly thought he was just going senile and worried about death, but this has made me wonder… still, no point in that. If it couldn't kill a knight then what hope does it stand against us?"

"That's kind of disregarding her abilities, sir. How did she send him away then?"

"Perhaps she has some magical abilities of her own. One cannot be certain for sure until she awakens. Listen doctor," says the Magus, "do your blood work and see what turns up."

"I even have the bow she was wearing. I removed it so I can run a hair sample analysis too."

The Magus likes this idea. "Good, get on it."

* * *

Negi sits at the girl's bedside and does so for several hours, mostly on an old wooden chair that had been sitting in the corner. It looks like nothing even happened to her. Her wounds are healed, no scars, no blood, nothing. While he sits there patiently waiting, a nasty storm kicks up outside, blocking the light from outside. The rain beats hard against the glass, washing down it and pooling on the sill before draining to the grassy ground below. It even smells strongly of rain in the room.

Lightning flashes every now and again, providing a too brief clear view of the young woman on the bed. Obscuring her face in places, her long sky blue hair looks messy. If he were older he may have found her pretty, but for now he is more in awe of what she did in the woods. Whoever she is, she must be one heck of a mage. Obviously a combat mage with her skills and the armor she was wearing. Now, however, she looks a little less impressive with the hospital gown on. It was now that Negi noticed something.

She isn't hooked to any of the typical machinery.

That's odd. The mysterious girl just keeps having mystery after mystery piled on top of her. Noticing something else strange about her, he stands up from the chair and leans into her. Placing his ear near her nose, he discovers something else. This is bad… she is not breathing! He, after dodging the chair, rushes into the hallway, looking for someone to help the girl who has ceased breathing.

Suddenly, as he stands panicking in the hallway, he can feel a presence behind him, warm and inviting causing his worries to melt away. It seems to be telling him to come and sit back down, relax… everything is all right. Nothing is wrong. Doing as the feeling tells him, he reenters the room and sits down. This is the best he's felt all day since meeting her. Eventually, as he sits there in the room's peaceful atmosphere, he gets comfortable enough to fall asleep.

He awakens several hours later and it has gotten dark out, but the storm has yet to quit, instead changing to a pleasant drizzle. Negi steps to the window and peeks out of it. Streetlights along the street out in front of the hospital here are shining brightly against the darkness. A black clad figure walks down the street from the right. Negi ducks down, leaving just the top of his head visible. Continuing unabated to the left, the figure walks by without a second thought to the boy sticking up from the window or who may be sleeping within.

The young boy sits back down when he is certain the monster will not be returning.

A clock on the wall tells him it is now slightly past 7 p.m. He was asleep for such a long time! Well, he's awake now so there isn't much to do. He leans in and checks her breath which still isn't there. He ponders if she really is okay. Not thinking about being a pervert, he presses his ear against her chest, trying to hear her heartbeat without it looking like he is laying his head against her breast. There is definitely a heartbeat. A heartbeat and no breath for several hours? What is up with her? He lifts his head off her chest.

The door to the room opens several minutes later. Nekane and Anya are on the other side, come to retrieve the boy.

"Come on, Negi. It's time to go home now." Nekane tells him quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl. She has only heard third hand information. Apparently she had been in one hell of a fight.

Negi doesn't want to leave. In the short time he's been in this room the boy has set it upon himself to stay and watch over her. "What if the monster comes back? She'd be defenseless. I can't just leave her here like that."

It's at this point the girl in the bed begins to stir. She slowly opens her eyes. "Huh," she says at seeing the room, "not expecting this."

Negi is quite happy to see her awake for she had given him quite the fright out in the woods. He was certain she was dead for a while, but to find out the girl was okay, and what's more, to see her alive, was spectacular. Nekane and Anya come further in to the room as the girl sits up. The girl has long sky blue hair, some of it covered in blood, which goes under the covers. From what Negi could figure, it must stop around her knees somewhere. It's not currently tied, but Negi also recalls her hair was tied about mid back with a white ribbon. A lot of details escape him as he was more concerned with her safety and his own… even if he did chicken out and find himself totally unable to move.

"You're awake!" blurts Negi.

The girl looks at him confused. "Why wouldn't I be?" She looks at the clock on the wall and says, "7:15 p.m. sounds about right."

"But you were so badly hurt, your chest was… I saw it… you should have been dead!" Negi points out.

The girl smiles, making Negi feel calm again as the same happens to Nekane and Anya. "I was more concerned for you. I tried to make sure there were no humans about where we were going to be. It looks like you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am sorry. I do appreciate your concern though." With a smile, she puts her hand on top of his head and ruffles his hair. "I suppose I should reward the gallant knight who helped me though." Negi soon finds the girl kissing his forehead sweetly.

Negi feels like there is some kind of protective force surrounding him now. An unidentifiable feeling that… well he can't really describe it. Sort of like he's been blessed in some manner.

Anya is quite irritated at this but settles for not saying anything. Certainly it didn't mean anything. And didn't she go back and get help? Where was her reward? Not that she wanted a kiss. Absolutely not!

The girl asks, "And what might be the name of the one who stood watch over me while I recovered?"

The 'gallant knight' boldly states, "Negi Springfield."

Apparently thinking it over for a minute, the girl continues to sit in bed. "Okay," she finally says, "you can call me Katsako Tamori."

"That sounds Japanese," observes Nekane. "Are you from there?"

Katsako grins. "Well, I am of what you would consider European descent, but my father spent quite sometime there. So I have spent some time there myself. My mother was also of European lineage so I really don't know what he was thinking because he can be a bit of an oddball sometimes. I, myself, mostly prefer to be called Kat."

"Well, Kat, are you from around here then?" Anya asks.

Katsako shakes her head. "No. I have a home in Japan in this time, but that belongs to my father."

This strikes everyone as odd… very odd. Nekane asks, "So what are you doing out here? At your age, shouldn't you be with your mother and father?"

"No. My mother passed and my father went on a trip with a few close friends. As for what I am doing, I'm traveling as well. What does it look like?" Katsako answers quite plainly. As if it should have been completely obvious to everyone.

Anya again looks perturbed. "You've caused quite a commotion. You show up, die, work Negi up, and then come back to life. And now you say you have a home in Japan, yet you are—!"

"Anya, settle down," suggests Nekane. She turns back to Katsako. "So you are far away from home and somehow you ended up almost dying in the woods?" Katsako can only offer a toothy grin. "Since you are so far from home, would you like to stay with us tonight?"

"I couldn't possibly put you out." Katsako looks embarrassed. "I should be going now. I have to go chase him down again. And I didn't die, I was resting."

"But who knows if you'll make it through the next time?" blurts Negi.

She sighs and agrees. "Okay, little knight. But I will only stay this one night," agrees Katsako. "Once morning comes, I have to chase him down again, okay?"

The young boy mage asks, concerned, "B- b- b- but you couldn't go chasing him down again. Why would you do something like that?"

Katsako has nothing to say. Instead she looks around and asks, "Has anyone seen my armor? Oh, and my ribbon? It is kind of important to me."

No one had seen what they did with the armor or the ribbon. Katsako looks around quickly and finally gets out of bed. Her hair covers the gap in the back of all hospital gowns. Anya covers Negi's eyes in reaction. The boy protests by lifting his friends' hands off his eyes.

"I'm not too concerned about the armor, but the ribbon is very important to me," the girl with the untied blue hair seems intent on finding it. "I don't know what I'd do without it."

Nekane begins to look around subconsciously, "What does it look like?"

The girl with the long blue hair looks under the bed, her hair falling to the cold tiles beneath her. "It's just a plain white ribbon," she claims while looking from left to right.

With a knowing nod, Nekane says, "It must have been from someone very special then."

Countering that, Katsako claims while looking in the closet, "Not at all. It's far more important than that." By this point, the entire room has been looked over.

"Well," asks Anya, "what makes it so special then?"

"It's a key," Katsako explains.

"A key?" Nekane asks.

"Yes… Perhaps one of the doctors has it. I really need it back." Katsako heads to the door but the gentle blonde stops her.

"You're not even dressed. We can go and ask around for it," Nekane offers.

Katsako looks down at what she is wearing and puzzles. "Um, okay. But I can just—?"

"Nonsense. Just wait here. I'll go looking for it. Anya, would be so kind as to go to my place to find something to wear for Miss Katsako?" The 'Miss Katsako' part elicits a sigh from the blue haired girl. Nekane eyes Katsako and says, "She should be about my size."

Anya sighs. "Okay…" The small girl heads out to go find some clothes for Katsako. Nekane follows her out to go look for her important ribbon. Negi stays behind to be the 'gallant knight' he seems to have become.

* * *

The doctor studies the blood and hair taken from the girl who was brought in earlier. He runs test after test, experiment after experiment. His findings are odd to say the least, and outstanding to say the most. From what he gathers in his magical tests, her regenerative capabilities are off the chart, to the point of being beyond magical. Then what is she? What could have these capabilities?

There also doesn't seem to be any known type to the blood and rudimentary analysis shows her genetic structure is completely nonhuman in origin.

Her hair sample also turns up many unknown phenomenon. It seems to be glammered from what he can tell. An illusion… which means she is hiding her true form. And none of his attempts to drop the glammer have worked so far, which is strange considering that the hair is no longer attached.

He rounds up what he's gathered… She's not human, physical damage doesn't seem to do much thanks to massive regenerative capabilities, and she's hiding her true form. So what is she? There is obviously a lot more here than meets the eye.

He decides to bring this up with the Magus. Now to get to a phone…

* * *

Nekane asks a small cluster of nurses if they have seen the white ribbon the patient in room 3 had. They inform her that the doctor overseeing the case is studying it. The gentle blonde informs them that said patient is awake and ready to leave and would like it back.

Bored, one of the nurses directs her, "His room is just down there, room 15."

"Thank you very much." Negi's cousin walks down the empty corridor to the doctor's room.

There's something about a hospital hallway late at night that bugs her. It is probably the cold, empty, quiet feeling of a late night hospital. That and all those horror movies always seem to have a hospital scene in them. She generally doesn't watch them, but she was feeling bold the other day. Now she is wishing she hadn't felt so bold.

Before she can get there, the doctor leaves the room, heading to the nurse's desk further down the hallway. Nekane picks up speed in order to catch up with him. You know, for an older man, he sure moves quickly. Wasting little time he picks up the phone from the desk and dials his number. Footsteps slowing, she makes it there after he starts speaking.

"Hello, sir… Good evening tae you as well… I realize tis late, but I wanted you tae know I finished preliminary work on the girl… No sir, far worse than that. It seems she isn't human… As for what she is, I cannae say. She's using a very powerful glammer on herself… You will sir? Okay. I shall await your arrival." And with that, the doctor hangs up the phone. Quickly turning, he almost runs into Nekane.

"Pardon me miss, is there something I can help you with?" he asks.

Nekane explains, "The girl in room 3 has woken and would like her ribbon back because she would like to leave."

"That girl is nae allowed tae leave." The doc explains, "The Magus is on his way and shall expect tae speak with 'er upon his arrival."

It must be bad for the Magus to arrive. Is a simple girl really worthy of raising such an alarm? "Can I at least get her ribbon back?"

"I dinnae see why nae. Come."

* * *

Negi and Katsako sit silently in the room. It's gotten noticeably colder in the room, mostly due to the fact that that the sun has been blocked by the storm for some time now and it was getting later on in the evening. The pitter of the rain hitting the window was really only the only sound.

"I could really use a shower or a bath or something I suppose," Katsako comments. "I hope you or your cousin won't mind me using your washing facilities."

"I won't and I don't think she'll mind either." Something strikes Negi as odd about what she said but he figures he simply forgot about something he heard. "So where are you really from? And are you a powerful mage?"

Katsako smiles and looks away. "As for being a mage… Not a very good one at all, no. Magic does run in my blood, but it is not very strong yet, and it won't get that way for a very long time."

"So where were you born then?" Negi asks with childlike curiosity.

She takes a moment to pause and think about her birthplace before answering. "Where I was born is a place far away from here, a place with a brilliant night sky from which many galaxies can be seen. In the day, the verdant green valleys and fields evoke a feeling of peace and harmony. And in the evening, the brilliant orange sky brings the cool night air and people head in to their homes for togetherness or the local pubs for friendship and the occasional drink.

"The oceans and seas are large and bountiful with fish; the crops are fresh, and the water pure. The silence at night is only ever broken in town. The forests are tall and lush, providing a habitat for many an animal. Truly a place of stunning natural beauty and wonderful people… you'd love it there.

"The various kingdoms all get along and there is no war or strife, which must seem like a farfetched idea or even like a utopia to you, but that, is exactly the reason I do not linger there. There is no need for me to be there. Sure, I won't say I don't go back every now and again to see the place, but I have work here to do here."

"Where is this place? It sounds like heaven." Negi asks.

"It's a bit like that, I suppose."

Finally coming to a solution, he exclaims, "So… You must be an angel then!"

"Well…" Kat looks to be both embarrassed and distressed.

The door to the room opens again and Nekane comes in with the doctor. Nekane has Katsako's ribbon in her free hand.

Standing up out of bed, Kat remarks, "Oh, you've found it… and it's a mess too."

The doctor accosts her while she is taking it. "So what manner of beast be you?"

A sad expression crawls across the girl with the sky blue hair. "So you know I am not human too. And I suppose you've already taken the liberty of phoning the leader of this village."

"Aye, that I have."

Kat sits back on the bed. "Then I shall wait till he arrives," she says as she brings her hair around to tie it. "Wow… that's a mess too. I must have looked horrible. He must have done more damage than I realized."

"Okay! Okay! I have the clothes you wanted," Anya trumpets as she enters the room with her arms full of clothes. She maneuvers around Nekane, the doctor, and Negi and dumps them on the bed.

"Oh… these are far too nice… are you sure you wouldn't mind my sweaty, nasty self in these?" the girl in the gown asks.

"No," the blonde tells her, "not at all. Please be my guest."

Tears form in the eyes of the mysterious Katsako. "Thank you very much."

"Doctor's orders. You're nae allowed to leave this room until the Magus arrives."

Katsako nods, "Of course."

A long period of uncomfortable silence passes. The doctor has stepped out in to the hallway because of the uncomfortable atmosphere of the room. Anya is still in the dark about why all of this is. When she left, everyone seemed happy and chipper but upon her return… things were different.

Whispering, she asks Negi, "What happened?"

"Katsako isn't a human," is his whispered response. "I think she's an angel."

Anya thinks about this for a moment. "Or she could be a demon, you know. Think about that."

Shaking his head in response, Negi answers, "I don't think so. Can't you feel it? The peace and calm coming from her?"

Once again, Anya is silent. "I suppose… but she could be faking it. It's something that older women do, I heard."

Negi still refuses to believe she could be anything bad. She was the one fighting the evil monster in the forest, she was the one who, even when she was must have been in an extreme amount of pain… she kept fighting. No, there is no way she could ever be evil. So could she be from heaven? The emotions he sensed from her… there couldn't have been any other answer.

It isn't long after this when the Magus arrives, ready to find some answers to what happened out in the woods and to what this girl is. He has several back-up mages with him, skilled in quick takedowns because there is no way of telling what she is and if she can be trusted. He tried to get information on the black cloaked thing that seems to have scared Negi but was officially told that all records were sealed and he shall never talk of this again. That speaks of bad portents and dark knowledge because rarely does information get banned. And with the exception of magic and the mundane, it is also rare to have a gag order issued.

The powerful mage does his best to look authoritative and generally succeeds at it. He gives Katsako a stern look which does make her shrink away. "Who are you?"

"My name is Katsako Tamori."

"Where are you from?"

"This time… I am from Japan, I guess."

"This time? This time? Some kind of alias?"

"No, my name really is Katsako Tamori. My home really is in Japan right now."

"What are you though? The tests came back showing that, at the very least, you are not human. Explain yourself!"

"My name is Katsako Tamori and I… would like to speak with you privately, if at all possible. While I don't consider what I am a secret, I do believe it will take some convincing before you believe me. Negi," when hearing his name the boy perks up, "you may stay too, if that is okay."

"Absolutely not," commands the Magus.

Katsako frowns a little. "Okay. You are the ranking human here. Would everyone else please leave? I do not want to go against the wishes of the Magus here."

"But she's a good person, really!" Negi declares. "Can't you feel it?"

The Magus asks, "Feel what?"

"Only those pure of heart can ever feel it. And it seems that only Negi can feel it." Katsako then goes on to ask, "So, shall we speak Magus?"

"Yes… Everyone who has decided to get involved may wait in the waiting room."

* * *

More than 15 minutes pass inside the room. Farther away, on the first floor's waiting room, Negi, Nekane, and Anya wait, one of them not so patiently. Anya, who has no clue on the situation, is asleep in her chair. It is the silence and boredom that does it every time, and the air coming in from the vent aimed at her assisted the slumber.

Nekane is as calm as ever, watching as her cousin anxiously awaits the return of the mysterious girl. Back in the room, he had mentioned something about a feeling. While in the presence of Katsako, she felt something too. A strange peace and calm, like knowing without a doubt that everything would be absolutely fine. Almost like the feeling right before a good sleep.

"You certainly have taken a shine to Miss Katsako, haven't you?" Nekane asks out of jest.

Negi seems to turn slightly red. "It's not that. It's that you always say I should always be kind to girls. She was obviously in such pain and I couldn't just let her be out there… Are you okay with her staying?"

Nekane smiles at him. "Would you really want it any other way?"

"Thank you. I just wouldn't have felt right just leaving her there."

"That's a good sign I believe," his older cousin tells him.

The elevator pings and Negi snaps back to focus. Unfortunately it isn't Katsako like he hopes. Instead it is one for the random hospital staff. More time and staff pass by, on their way to other patients. Once again, the elevator pings and this time it is Katsako, and the Magus, behind the doors. They both seem to be in much better spirits with each other then when he last saw them both. The powerful mage has a freshly baked baguette with him for some reason. How did he get that?

"And I'll have to wipe his memory of it. That kind of evil can have negative effects long after the event has transpired," Katsako says offhandedly to the older looking man.

The Magus agrees with her. "That would probably be the best then."

The young girl gets a somber look on her face. "I really never intended to show up near a human territory. It is my entire fault this has happened because I'm still not too sure of these powers, you know?"

"I understand. I suppose that nothing like that was obtained readily without much practice, much like magic abilities. Anyway, have some fun tonight Miss Tamori," the bread holding Magus says as they both leave the elevator. "It sounds like you could use some."

Katsako noticeably winces at the "Miss" part. She smiles back afterwards and replies, "Thanks, I'll try my best to do that." With a small wave, she parts company with the elder mage.

Negi stands up to greet her. "There's no need for that," she says while smiling.

Nekane is the first of the three to speak. "It seems you smoothed everything over with him."

"Yeah. I explained myself to him and made sure I was clear on everything," the long haired girl says, "and the baguette helped immensely in proving things."

"That's good. Should we all go home now?" the blonde girl asks.

Negi agrees.

Nekane wakes the slumbering Anya. The young girl snaps to the waking world. "Huh, wha…" She looks around confused. "Something going on?"

"We're going home now," answers Negi.

Anya stands up and stretches. "So everything is cleared up with what's-her-face?" This elicits a laugh from Katsako. "Oh! You're there. I didn't notice."

"That's fine," says Katsako. "I bet after waiting for me for so long you're all anxious to go home. So do not let me hold you up any longer."

* * *

A little while later, the group is at the Springfield residence. Katsako seems to fit right in with the rest of them, laughing and listening to stories the others tell.

"So Katsako, tell us about yourself. You certainly did stir up quite a bit of trouble," Nekane says with a happy tone. "Certainly you can't be such a troublemaker."

Katsako is answering, her voice drowned out by silence, when—

Negi can hear a snarling, carrying a chorus screams with it. With a cold chill, his heart beat quickens and red light fills his mind. No. No, no, no… The red lights… those eyes. The feeling of fear seeps its way into his very soul. He's literally shaking, and for whatever reason no one is helping.

With a cold sweat and a scream, Negi wakes up. Nekane, whose bed he climbed in earlier, also wakes up to the sound of Negi's scream.

"Negi? Negi? What is the matter?" Nekane asks, terrified for her young cousin.

"Death! I was dying! I felt it. My heart kept speeding up, beating faster and faster until it exploded!" Negi cries out.

Nekane hugs her cousin as a means to calm him down. "Is it the monster again?" she asks, knowing full well the situation. It has been almost two years since the incident in the woods.

"Y– Y– Yes," Negi admits through his tears.

"Remember that day though? You found that girl. She was wounded and so you cried for help and Anya found you. Remember?"

In a mass of sniffles, Negi answers. "Yes, Miss Katsako would have died if it weren't for me. But why the monster? Where did it come from? I don't remember it being there."

Nekane maneuvers around and gets out of bed. "Let's get you to calm down, you may have eaten something that is disagreeing with you." She takes the young Negi's hand and leads him to the kitchen for a cold glass of water, blatantly lying to him.

While he is drinking quickly, the elder cousin advises Negi to slow down or he'll choke. He disregards the advice in favor of the water. And true to his wise cousin's words, his sniffling causes a back flood, forcing water up into his nasal cavity. He coughs up, water splattering down his shirt and some on the floor. It is about an hour later before his tears dry up as the nightmare's effects fade, like a black cloud lifting to reveal the sunlight on the other side.

Nekane remembers the day well, but Negi doesn't. It is the monster that was blocked from his memory, though it seems Katsako was right in her declaration that that kind of evil isn't easily forgotten, which is even more true now that more than a year has passed hence.

"Perhaps you are getting nervous over tomorrow? You finally graduate tomorrow and that's a really big step in your life. I am sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this."

She knows it is an echo of evil.

**The End of Chapter One…**


	2. Graduation

**Blood Scrawled Note:** I actually, at this point, have up to chapter four written and waiting.

I only own my own original characters within. Other characters are property of their respective owners. In the case of Howell and Tessa, Tsutomu Teruko.

**The King of Dust**

_And later, when a few tattered remnants of the group were swept up, all they knew was there had been someone else associated with the group, maybe someone important, maybe some hanger-on, a man of no age, a man called the Walkin' Dude, or sometimes the Boogeyman._

_-Stephen King's "The Stand," Chapter 23_

**Chapter Two: Graduation**

"Today is the day, Negi," he is told many times by a number of people. "This is the beginning of it all," is another popular one. Negi must admit this is a day he's looked forward to for quite a while. Today is the day he graduates from Meridiana Magic School. It is to be the first day he can step out into the world as an actual mage. It is also when he will get his assignment to blend into society.

It has been well over a year since he last saw that blue haired girl, Katsako Tamori. All he remembers is that she seemed to have caused quite a stir with her arrival… And that she kissed him on the forehead. That kiss made him feel… special. Even now, just thinking about it gives him a warm, fuzzy, loved feeling. Will she show up today? The chances are slim but he certainly hopes she will.

He steps out into the crisp morning air. If it wasn't for the fact he is going to graduate today, he'd enjoy it more. His nerves are preventing any chance of that. It's all led up to this day. All the training, all the trials, all the study… Everything.

Anya and Nekane are with him as well, Ayna because she is also graduating, and Nekane is coming to see them both. Anya showed up earlier to make sure he isn't late. All three of them start heading down the road.

Ringing out from behind them, they hear, "Hey! Wait up!" They turn behind them to see a familiar girl with sky blue hair and a white ribbon. Katsako is running along to catch up with them.

Negi, glad to see her again, says, "Miss Tamori!"

When she does catch up she says to him, "Didn't I tell you that you could call me Kat?" She looks exactly the same as when she left, save her own clothes this time.

"Oh! Yes. Sorry."

"I happened to find out my gallant little knight was graduating so I had to come see his special day." Katsako is smiling. She also gives a quick nod to Nekane. "How have you been?" she asks the boy.

Negi answers, "I've been good. I've studied hard but I am a little scared now."

"That's to be expected. It's a big day for you," Katsako reassures him. She puts her hand on his head and ruffles his hair. He smiles back at her.

"Come on," Anya says. Her voice sounds stressed. "We're going to be late."

In response, Negi runs to catch up with her while adjusting his hair. You have to look just right, after all.

"Hey you two," Nekane says while they run on ahead, "you still have time you know!"

Katsako laughs in a jovial manner as they walk along after them. "Ah… They are excited is all."

Quietly, the blonde asks, "So how long has it been for you?" She knows what Katsako is, having learned the day Negi's memories were altered.

"For me… 15 years."

"You took the long road to this day. Wouldn't that make you—?"

"Yep. I am also at the age where I start looking for a mate."

Nekane gets a concerned look on her face. "Negi?"

Katsako piques up. "What? Oh, no! I am afraid that just slipped from my mouth. That would be a bit much for him, out of the blue like that. 'I want to have your children.' Besides, he's a nice kid and way too young. I don't think he'd do something like that. It's just that part of me is looking for a mate."

"Any luck in that department?"

Katsako sighs. "No. There isn't any of my kind around anymore, at least around here. And not too amazingly, there aren't many men willing to do anything with you if you come to them specifically asking to have their children, at least none who aren't lechers."

"You weren't that direct… were you?" Nekane asks as if Kat had made a major faux pax.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Katsako says in a dead serious tone. Nekane looks shocked. The blue haired girl reveals her ruse. "No, I wasn't. Besides, I'd have to watch as the one I love slowly grows older and dies while I have to keep carrying on."

They walk past the hospital where some medical emergency mages, or MEMs, dragged her over a year ago. The incident flows back to both of them like the tide. Memories washing up like sea foam.

"I felt something was different about you that day, but to think that you are what you are," Nekane says to the girl next to her.

"I am not important. Really I'm not. You are important, though. Negi, Anya, you, the whole human race. I merely do what I do is all."

"Have you seen your father at all since then?" Nekane asks.

Katsako shakes her head. "No. I probably won't ever see him unless I really mess up bad."

They come to an intersection and look both ways before crossing the street. Negi and Anya are still ahead of them but not to the point of being out of sight. The small town vibe is still present, even on a day like today. There are only a few clouds in the sky today, mostly along the horizon. There is barely even a breeze. A few birds chirp out in the distance, proving just how quiet the town is.

"What about the dark one?" Nekane asks.

"I haven't run into him since then."

"I suppose that is good. I was amazed to find out you had not died that day."

"That? Heh. It'll take a lot more than that to kill me. I honestly was just resting and regenerating. But rest assured, when he shows up again I'll be there to fight against him."

The school is now in view, rising up from the numerous trees that surround it. As they approach, a massive flock of birds fly out from several trees, heading west. Though there are only a few graduating students, there are still a high volume of people visiting. There are friends, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, all gathering for a joyous occasion.

"We probably also owe you so much for constantly fighting against him."

Katsako actually looks offended at that statement. "Absolutely not!"

"I'm sorry. Did I say something to anger you?"

"Like I would expect some kind of payment for what I do… I do what I do out of love and respect for the human race. I would never ask for payment or any such thing." Without any kind of warning, Katsako hugs Nekane. "I love you guys so much." Her voice is chummy. She releases the embrace and Nekane seems to be a combination of happy and relieved.

"We'd better hurry up," Nekane says, enjoying being able to breathe, "or we'll lose sight of them."

They both quicken up their pace.

* * *

Negi and Anya get to school ahead of time to get prepared. Negi wears a green cloak and hat, bent at the tip, while Anya wears a blue cloak and pointy hat. No amount of smoothing out their robes seems to be enough. They are talking happily with their other three classmates as the number of older mages gathering for the ceremony steadily increases.

The din from all the people gathering and talking amongst themselves becomes a dull roar. Nekane and Katsako finally arrive and find a nice spot to watch the proceedings. When they talk amongst each other, they often have to repeat themselves during a quiet spot. About ten minutes after they show up the proceedings finally begin.

Mages line the halls as the five graduates stand before the Magus. The people in the stands show their respect as silence fills the room.

He gives them a standard speech about furthering their abilities and avoiding the dark path taken by a few mages before them. He finishes by saying, "I will now award your diplomas. You've done well these last few years, but your real training begins now. Do not let your resolve weaken."

Afterwards, Negi is overjoyed to see his diploma in his hands. He is ready to accept whatever fate it hands to him.

"Hey Negi!" Anya says from behind him. She is with Nekane and Katsako. "What does it say? I got assigned a fortunetelling job in London!"

"Where will you be training?" Nekane asks.

"It's about to appear!" he answers.

Everyone present looks over his shoulders… or over his head. Seeming like it is getting burned into the paper; a shape slowly appears, leaving the negative space to form the words, "A teacher in Japan."

"A teacher?" Anya asks.

Right after that Negi asks, "In Japan?"

Nekane, Anya, and Negi all react with a loud "Eeeh?"

Katsako reacts with a "What's wrong with Japan?"

"Katsako, he'll be so many thousands of miles from home!" Nekane explains. "They go into these things to blend into society while still practicing magic. If they fail and reveal the existence of magic to anyone they get transformed into an ermine."

"That's an odd punishment…" Katsako comments and swiftly moves on. "Japan isn't bad though. It's quite a nice place… bit crowded in places, but not bad."

"I'd still feel better if he was closer to home," Nekane says.

Anya adds, "He'll be completely useless on his own."

"Okay. I can't get in the way of human affairs. I must let you work out these issues on your own. So what will you do about it?" Katsako asks.

"We need to get to the Magus before he gets too involved with something else."

The four of them run to find the Magus. Luckily, they find him walking to his office.

"Excuse us, Sir!" Nekane says loudly as they approach, trying to get his attention. He stops and turns to see who is calling for his attention. "How can Negi become a teacher? He's too young and Japan is so far away."

Anya adds her thoughts to the subject. "He's too shrimpy and loses focus way too easily."

"Well, what the diploma says is the final word. This is all part of training to be a great mage." Nekane can't believe what she is hearing. Her stance falters and she starts to faint. She is quickly caught by Katsako, who begins to fan her. "I see this really does bother you… perhaps there is something that can be done…" he says while looking at the blue haired girl.

"You there, Kat."

"Yes sir?" asks the blue haired girl, snapping slightly to attention.

"You will watch over him while he is there."

"I what?" Katsako asks, almost dropping Nekane out of shock.

"One of the conditions you gave to me in order to prove yourself to me, and I quote, 'If there is anything I can ever do to prove myself, just ask it of me and I will do it.' Well, that time has come as I'm calling in that favor."

"But I can't—"

"Yes, I know you can't involve yourself in the affairs of humans. But Negi can learn from you, you who hide your true self away from humanity. Help him along his path," orders the Magus.

"I guess I have no other choice. Yes sir." She salutes.

The Magus gives a reassuring smile at the group. "I also know the principal of the school where you will be teaching. There will be a number of resources available to you. You should consider yourself lucky."

* * *

Much farther away and sometime later in Japan, Negi and Katsako walk along a crowded city street. People shuffle along, going to work and school and who knows where else, performing the concert of a busy weekday morning in its crescendo.

"Wow, such a busy place." Negi weaves his way through the crowd with Katsako right behind him. "So have you figured out what you are going to do? Will you be my student, or are you going to be a teacher?"

"Actually," Katsako answers, "my role was determined for me already. I was told to be a student that way I could keep an eye on you."

Negi turns a hint of red. "I'm sorry about that. I should be more than capable of handling this assignment."

"This is mostly my fault. I've learned my lesson about keeping my mouth shut and making guarantees that may come back to bite me in the ass… Not that I find spending time with you annoying or anything." Negi turns an even deeper red when she says that. Embarrassment forms on her face like a light turning on in a room. "I didn't mean it that way! Maybe we should change the subject…" She concludes with an uncomfortable half-laugh.

She looks down at the ground and continues following behind Negi.

"So, this Mahora Academy, do you know anything about it?" the soon-to-be teacher asks his companion.

An explosion rolls like thunder across the plaza, drawing the attention of the two. Negi begins to head in that direction while others around him actively stay right where they are, traveling to their pre-chosen destinations. Katsako follows right behind him. What they arrive at is quite a scene. Spells are being fired off into a recently started building site. A forest of metal beams rise up from the ground, ready to support the eventual building and reinforce its sides.

Mages are keeping a rather large demon that has manifested itself within the site at bay. Actually, if one is to look closer at it, it looks more like they are _annoying_ a rather large demon that has manifested itself within the site.

Negi slows to a stop as Kat halts beside him. "You're an angel, right? I'm sure that even with your small amount of magic, you can do something."

"I'm not an angel, but I will do something. There's no way you could stop me now. This isn't strictly human-on-human so I can dive right in." With that, Katsako leaves the boy behind and runs to the demon. The mages begin shouting protests at her, telling her to get out of the way mostly.

The hulking demon turns its attention down to the 'much smaller than it' girl. "Finally, someone worth my time. And such a tender young thing as well." It laughs a rather perverted laugh in a deep, grumbly, voice.

"I didn't expect much else of a response from a worthless demon."

Not even exerting any effort, he rips a beam out of the ground and pins Kat to the ground with it, shoving it through her abdomen like a needle through a cloth. Blood sprays out in a crimson fountain.

The girl lets out a scream that comes to a sudden stop, however… her eyes don't reflect death.

"Miss Tamori!" Negi screams after seeing his friend impaled with construction material.

"I like it when they don't struggle," the demon claims.

The mages increase their assault, seemingly spurred on by not wanting any other stupid idiots to get killed. This draws the attention of the demon. He grabs another metal beam and crumples one end, turning it into a large metal club.

Negi, his mind clouded by the fact he's just seen someone he knows die, runs over to her and lifts her head. "Katsako? Kat? Come on! You made it through that last time… You're an angel and angels can't die!"

"Oh, lookie here… Popcorn shrimp." The demon has turned his attention back to where the girl is; taking a good look at the tasty treat that has shown up. It reaches for the small boy, intending to turn him into a Negi Nugget.

"I think not, foul spawn of the pit!" says Katsako, her voice commanding otherworldly power.

The demon sees Kat force herself in to an upright and standing position with the girder still embedded within her torso, bits of dirt falling off the end that was just in the ground. The demon grunts a bit as it comes to a realization. "I can sense it…"

Negi looks on in awe as his friend seems to ignore the large metal chunk that's been run through her.

"You're not human! Those powers!" is the only thing the demon can say before Katsako's voice thunders again.

Kat's eyes glow with bright white light, her pupils becoming slit-like. "I cast thee hence, sending you back to the oblivion from whence you came!" A great runed circle appears in front of her which fires off a massive beam of bright white light. Pure white light surrounds the pit spawn, slowly disintegrating it bit by bit. Layer by layer the light washes the demon from the world, quickly leaving nothing behind.

The mages who were fighting are stunned, trying to guess who and what this girl is as she pulls the metal beam out and it lands with a hard thud on the ground below.

Snapping out of it, her pupils return to a normal shape. Kat quickly steps over to her young companion. "Are you okay?"

"You… have to let me train under you!" is his response.

Katsako smiles at his answer. "Well, you seem fine." She pats him on the head. "Come on… we are extremely behind schedule."

* * *

Time and space rips open, creating a great chasm in reality. Something dark falls through chasm, spilling out on the ground like a bag of rocks. It takes a moment before it moves. When it does, it collapses into a pile of sand, loose and dry. With no provocation from the wind, it moves, rising up and reforming back into the shape it had before disintegrated. The red lights of its eyes move around apparently to scan the land around it while the nostrils on its white beak like mouth twitch. Subtle sniffing sounds can be heard.

With an assessment at hand, it begins to walk. "Displaced…" he hisses quietly. "She is potent, but obtuse." As he walks along, the smaller plants curl up and die, the earth beneath his feet putrefies and becomes foul as he steps on it.

His walk leads him to a calm lake. Knowing exactly what needs to be done, he rushes up to its surface and inhales a great breath of air, his chest cavity expanding as the breath grows deeper. He forcefully expels a blast of chilling air which sweeps over a great portion of the lake's surface. The water groans and creaks as it freezes into a perfectly smooth mirror-like sheet.

He waves his hand across it and orders, "Show me where she is… When she is… Unfold the whole of time and space to me!"

Brilliant light shines from within the ice as a face slowly appears. The face of a white-haired, red-eyed, human male, wreathed in flames.

"Do not show me this!" he demands, force and anger in his voice. The unfrozen section of the lake surface shudders and birds in the trees fly away as he shouts. "What possible bearing on mine own scheme does this fool have? You have wasted my time and thy own. The blue haired female, the one with the shining blood, show her to me!"

The shining surface refuses his demands, instead, still showing the albino. "Have the spirits of the damned come with delirium? This man is refuse, a piece of trash! Show me where to find Katsako!" he demands and slams his metal clad hand against the surface, forcing it to splinter and crack. With each syllable of his rant an inky black vapor spews forth from his maw.

A snarl issues forth from his scaled and desiccated lips as the crescendo of rage subsides. "Perhaps… this is something more. This one must know her location! If this is as such, then I shall retrieve this information in a most expedient manner. Tell me," he asks the frozen lake while waving his gauntlet over it again, "where is this human?"

It shows him a serene village landscape in shimmering light with a building standing amongst a small forested town, its tower rising above all the other buildings surrounding it.

"He is not far," the black cloaked monster says as he stands up and turns around to see the tower on the horizon behind him.

The lake flash melts, leaving barely a ripple on its surface. The dark beast makes several signs in the air, waving his hands around gently in seemingly random directions as black energy flows from his metal clad hand. His spell enshrouds him in further darkness, like armor made of vapory night.

* * *

Howell Fitzwilliam walks down a hallway of Merdiana Magic Academy, unaware of the eyes that fall upon him. They follow him for a just a moment before the lights in the hallway dim then go black. A black mass rises up behind him with two red lights near the top of it. When Howell looks back, he is quickly slammed up against the wall by a black cloaked figured. Its forearm pressing up against his throat prevents him from struggling.

"Where are you going?" asks the dark monster with his voice full of malevolence. "Tell me now!"

"I'm going to a classroom."

The black clad monster raises his metal fist and swiftly punches the albino in the face, the hooks on the back of the knuckles piercing his flesh. Black arcs of energy spark out when the contact is made. "Not good enough. You are taking a trip. Where?"

"I don't know what you are talking about!" the man exclaims.

The black cloaked monster snarls in anger. It soon shifts to a cruel smile. "You will still give me the answer I seek."

With a quick move, the black clad monster gets Howell in a hold that points him towards the opposite wall. Before his victim can say anything, the index claw of the monster's metal clad right hand rips the boy's throat out. The crimson spray splatters on the wall in a fine speckled pattern.

"Divination using your own lifeblood."

Just then, as Howell lay bleeding out and unable to speak, a girl rounds the corner. When her gaze falls upon the beast in the hallway, every muscle in her body freezes.

The monster reaches out, seemingly breaking the limits of its own arm, and clutches the girl's head in his right hand. She drops instantly, dead as a doornail. His arm retracts to its normal length. "I'll claim my prize in a moment, but first I have to do this."

Without a moment's hesitation, the beast looks at the spray on the wall. The red lights of his eyes darting around in their sockets as he reads the way the blood shot out. The lights change size several times as they focus on finer details of each drop. After a bit, he turns to Howell's cold corpse.

"Ha! So the fool has gone to Nippon-koku." He kneels down. "But why you of all people? You seem so… ancillary." He grabs the boy's head, and with a crack and wet ripping noise, twists it off. Blood drips from the neck as the monster stands up. "There must have been some reason I saw you in the lake rather than where she was. I will keep you for now."

He holds the head by the hair with his right hand and creates a small swarm of sand in the left. A single grain rises to the top of the storm and makes the rest fall back into his hand to be reabsorbed. The small fleck bobbles, and floats, and sparkles a brilliant red. The head has its mouth open which allows the grain of sand to float into the decapitated head. With a piercing scream, the head snaps back to life.

"Silence!" With that, the disembodied head ceases screaming. "I am your Lord now! And you will listen to every word I say. I may have need of you later, but you have no body."

"But it's right down there." Howell's head looks down.

"DO NOT SECOND GUESS ME!" The hallway shakes and cracks as once again black fumes pour forth from his mouth, curling around his yellowed teeth and down his spiked chin. "I am claiming your worthless corpse and returning it to the dust from whence it came… Me!"

The body breaks down quickly, rotting to dust in a matter of moments. The black clad monster sweeps up some of the corpse dust and opens his mouth. With a slight inhalation, the dust flows into his mouth as if soot in the wind. He chews on it for a while, savoring the dry flavor. On the floor, where the body once lay, there was a single grain of sand amongst the dust. The monster kneels down and picks up the single grain.

The corpse eating monster whispers, "Ir gocahel confna ekess ve," while he looks at it.

A moment of silence passes before the cloak wearing monster practically leaps over to the dead girl, rips open her shirt, exposing her left breast, and places his metal hand on it. A white light pours out of her chest and into his right hand. This happens for half a minute and when it's done he stands up. The white light ripples over the surface as he looks at his hand and flexes it around.

"What was that? What did you just do?" Howell asks.

"That is not for you to know now." His voice becomes more methodical. "Tell me… do you have any friends? People who think about you more than one once a day?"

"Why would anyone think about me?"

"Humans are stupid. You are stupid so you will attract stupid people. So how about people you pass words with you more than others, how about that?"

"Tessa Woodhouse."

"Who is that?"

"I don't know. Some girl."

"Any others?"

"What's your name?" Howell asks, practically sing-songy.

"That's not important right now. Tell me… where might she be now?"

"I don't know. Girls do things."

His voice changes to a deeper, more sinister tone, "Oh it really doesn't matter. Quick, where's the restroom?"

"You shouldn't have eaten that corpse dust." The monster swings the head and slams it into the wall, a little blood splattering out. "Down the hall and to the right."

The monster takes off and runs down the hall and to the right with Howell's head swinging around freely. He opens the door with his open hand, throwing his shoulder into it. Making a loud noise, the door slams open. He tosses the boy's head in the garbage can, putting a spin on it, and steps over to a mirror. A pass of his hand later and the mirror is showing him the image of a girl. "This image, is it the girl you mentioned? What's her face?"

"Tessa? Yeah, that's her. "

The black monster looks at his uncovered left hand. "Only a limited amount chronomancy available. How to handle this? How to handle this…?" Manically, he better states his situation as he looks back up. "I know," he half sings. He bolts out the door, grabbing the head. The claws of his metal hand clicking on the glass of the window across the hall. "So many options, so few times I can use them on a single human without being forced to bring them back." He looks around outside and finds her walking up to the building. He opens his mouth, hangs his tongue out, and exhales black fumes. The glass blackens and cracks in response to the vile breath falling upon it.

With a loud shatter, he busts the window out with his elbow and leaves the head on the sill. Tessa looks up, avoiding the glass as it falls. The monster lets out a gurgling hiss as he flies down after the broken shards. The girl shivers at the sight of the monster that lands in front of her and towers over. A massive black figure that makes her run away.

A number of zombies and skeletons rise up from the ground and block her path. More swarm in from behind her. The dark monster slowly approaches from where he landed. She is fighting to get free from the zombies when they get a hold on her. The large black cloaked figure approaches her as she strains against her captors.

"Who are you? Tell me!" demands the restrained Tessa as the dark monster looms over her.

* * *

Negi and Katsako sit in the dean's office. His chair squeaks as he leans back. He looks slightly disappointed at the two of them and they both look apologetic. He clears his throat which makes Kat do a nervous jerk. He gives her a look. "You both realize this doesn't look good."

"It's entirely my fault. I'm the only one to blame," Katsako tells the elderly man.

"Trust me. I've been brought abreast of the situation at the construction site. And while I do thank you, I would also like to point out that our mages were more than capable of dealing with the situation." The chair has another squeak as Konoemon shifts his weight forward. He reaches into his desk and removes a small thin book. Creaking even more, he hands it over to the boy.

"This is your class list, updated to include Tamori-san," Konoemon explains. Katsako winces at the honorific.

"Oh, thanks." Negi takes the book enthusiastically. While looking at the pictures, he comes across Kat's picture. "There's something wrong with Miss Tamori's picture. Kinda like there's a thin layer of silver or foil over the picture."

Kat perks up. "Eh, heh heh heh… It must have been something on the camera. Like a bug or something." She seems nervous about something.

The older man levels another look at Katsako. "Since you are listed as a student, you should probably go on ahead of Negi-Sensei."

"But I'm supposed to stay with him," she counters excitedly.

"I know of that agreement, but it would seem weird for a new teacher and a new student to travel together, wouldn't you agree?"

Katsako answers apprehensively, "I suppose you're right."

"Do not worry, he will remain safe on his trip to class. Now go make your introduction to the class. The new student should introduce herself before the new teacher does."

"I suppose you are right." Kat stands up. "I'll see you in class Negi."

"See you Miss Tamori." Katsako ruffles his hair as she leaves.

"She seems like she will be a nice addition to Mahora." His facial hair moves with the movement of a smile on his lips. "Now…"

* * *

Katsako trods down the road to class 2-A, looking slightly depressed. Her long blue hair, with its two spikes on the top and the tie at the middle of her back, swishes back and forth. She comes to the building and opens the double door that leads in. Eventually she comes to the door that leads into class 2-A.

"So… I am to be a school student until Negi completes his training… What's a few years? And when he's done… Perhaps…" She shakes her head. "Oh, what am I thinking? He's too nice for something like that. And I couldn't ask him something like that." She is beet red at this point. With a vigorous shake of her head, she clears her thoughts. "Too easily distracted."

Vigorously, she opens the door, ready to greet the new batch of humans she will be getting to know. There are only a few of them in the room. Weren't schools supposed to be crowded in this decade? She walks over to the desk and begins rustling around.

One of the girls, with short, silvery purple hair approaches her. "Umm… excuse me," she says meekly, "what are you doing?"

"Looking for a calendar," then it dawns on Kat. "Hey, you can tell me! What year is this?"

"Um, 2003. Are you okay?"

"Hah! I was right _and_ I knew something was off. This can't possibly be everyone."

Ako is confused. "What does the year have to do with how many students are in the classroom? Are you even supposed to be in this class?"

Katsako nods. "Yep. I was assigned to 2-A. And the link is obvious if you think about it."

"So we get a new student and a new teacher?" another girl asks. This one has short brown hair and a ponytail off to the side.

"Yes."

"That's cool. Nice to meet you, my name is Akashi Yuuna."

"Nice to meet you as well. My name is Tamori Katsako. But please, by all means, call me Kat."

"O- Okay Kat-san. Allow me to formerly welcome you to class 3-A," Yuuna says. "I don't know where our new teacher is right now."

* * *

Negi is running as fast as he can to the building where Class 2-A is in. The both of them lost track of time talking, ending with them realizing how much time had passed during their little chat. The walkways are cluttered with people heading to the first day of school for the year. A big day for everyone in Mahora.

One student, traveling with her friend, is also late and heading to the same classroom. This is not new, nor will it be the last time. She deftly dodges someone traveling a little slower. "Excuse me," she chirps as she passes them.

As they round a corner, heading into the final stretch, she says to her friend, "I hope you aren't counting on getting Takahata as a teacher again?"

"He will be. Who else would they get?"

She answers while looking back, "I heard they got someone else to teach."

"Really?"

And about that time she runs into someone, knocking over and landing on them. It's a small, red haired boy of about ten with the cutest little glasses, and the deepest blush she's seen in a while.

"Ulp!" the boy says. Then, like turning on a light, his embarrassment changes to panic. "Oh my! Are you okay?"

The girl on top of him giggles. "Yeah, I'm fine." She stands up and offers him a hand which he takes. "My name is Konoe Konoka. What's yours?"

"I'm Negi Springfield, er Springfield Negi. I'm the new teacher for class 2-A."

"WHAT?" Asuna asks as if the world was going to end any minute. "How on earth could they replace Takahata-sensei with a runt like you?"

With a smile, Konoka interrupts Asuna's emotional collapse. "We are going to be late if we don't hurry."

Asuna grumbles, "And so is our new teacher,"

Negi snaps to. "Oh! I I'm so behind schedule," he frets. "Might as well go to class together since it sounds I'm your new teacher. Come on!"

As Negi heads in, Asuna asks angrily, "How does a kid become a teacher?"

"Don't worry about it Asuna. And besides," Konoka giggles, "for a kid, he's kinda cute."

Asuna is the first to open the door which, from her stand point, is a bad idea. Leading from the door, through a clever system of desk legs, a string leads to a jerry rigged, spring-loaded ink pen with a suction cup tipped arrow. Or rather, that arrow had been there. It was now stuck the Asuna's head, right between the eyes and above the eyebrows.

Asuna scowls slightly. "Oh ha ha ha, real funny. What are we," she asks rhetorically while pulling the dart off her head, "teenagers or toddlers?" She goes and sits down after tossing the dart in the trash and snapping the string so she can get through.

Konoka enters next, as happy as a clam, with Negi entering last. He walks behind the desk and sets his stuff down. In response, the class kind of looks around at itself, confused.

"Good morning students," the boy greets. "I am your new teacher, Springfield Negi."

* * *

Dryly, the monster laughs, "That's the second time I've been asked that. The living mind trying to apply labels to things it cannot understand." His voice booms, "Fine! You may call me by my title. I am The King of Dust! And I am the god of the dead!"

"Holy shit… You've been gone a long time, haven't you?"

"This one knows me," his deep voice rumbled quietly in stark comparison to his previous outburst, as if the distant call of a storm, "why?" The lights in his eyes shrink as he analyzes the girl. His nostrils, in the tip of the snout, flare with slight sniffs. "…A demon," he says with multiple voices.

"Yep."

His voice forceful, "Give me one good reason I shouldn't destroy you where you sit."

"I would consider it a privilege, nay, an honor to serve under one such as yourself."

"You are chaos… I am law."

"What are law and chaos when you are evil?" Tessa asks as she stands up.

"Well, I know I cannot destroy you outright. Being an Outsider, you have no soul to use. And all things considered, you don't add up to much use to me."

Tessa believes she may just have him in a bind. He can't kill her, and she will stab him in the back the moment she can get a chance. She's heard of him, little bits and pieces. He's a monster that's true… but a god of the dead? No. That can't be true.

"I could prove—" She prepares to kneel.

"I've decided." Tessa looks up from her kneel slightly surprised. "You are worthy," the King tells her.

"Thank you." She calms down quite a bit "I will show you tha—" Tessa is once again cut off.

"SILENCE! You are worthy of being dismembered and having your various parts kept for experimentation!" He fires a magical beam at her, draining her of any fight she may have had in her. "I shall learn more from you. You will serve a great purpose, my purpose." With that, two of the stronger zombies hold her arms while the King of Dust extends the metal index finger of his right hand and sets about his work. "It's been to long since I've bothered with Demonkind…"

Tessa screams as she is cut into pieces.

* * *

_Yes they deserve to die, and I hope they burn in hell!_

_-Dave Chappelle_

**End Chapter Two…**


	3. Obfuscation

**Blood Scrawled Note:** Not much to say here except that Howell is property of Tsutomu Teruko, and that both Johnny Lee Coker and Hiro Sasuki are property of Kafka'sdragon. Also... Merry Christmas. Ha ha hah!

**The King of Dust**

---

_This is the dead land  
This is cactus land  
Here the stone images  
Are raised, here they receive  
The supplication of a dead man's hand  
Under the twinkle of a fading star._

_Is it like this  
In death's other kingdom  
Waking alone  
At the hour when we are  
Trembling with tenderness  
Lips that would kiss  
Form prayers to broken stone._

_--From T. S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men"_

---

**Chapter Three: Obfuscation**

The sudden rush of students to the front of the room generates a palpable wind that rustles a few loose items about the room. The two tall spikes of hair on Katsako's head flutter from it, drawing her focus more to the group than anything else she had been staring at. Her face changes from confusion, to hesitation, to happiness and back again in several different passes.

The girls cluster around the young boy like flies on honey, asking any number of questions of the child. Several "adorable" comments are heard along with a couple of "cute" remarks and general fawning over the small, cute boy.

"Ladies, please!" Negi protests while being surrounded.

The door slides open and a man in suit steps in. "Take it easy on your new teacher, girls."

Breathlessly, Asuna takes notice. "T- Takahata!"

"So he's really our new teacher?"a taller blond girl asks. She turns to Negi. "Well then, please let me introduce myself. I am Yukihiro Ayaka and I am the class representative of 2-A. If there is anything you need, please let me know."

"Um, thanks. Takahata-san, it's nice to meet you here." The new teacher struggles from inside the swarm.

"Come on girls, let up a bit," Takahata orders gently, knowing full well they were just playing. When they do that, he introduces Negi. "Okay, let me introduce your teacher. This is Negi Springfield. He's your homeroom and English teacher. In addition, you also have a new classmate. Miss, would you come up here please?" he gestures to Kat.

"Umm… Yes. Okay." Kat stands up and walks over the gathering.

"Now the rest of you please sit down so they can do this properly. Negi-kun…"

"Yes?"

"We'll have to catch up again some time. It's great to have you aboard. And I'd like to talk to you too, Tamori-san. So I'll see you both around sometime."

His use of _Tamori-san_ causes her to shudder. "Okay, Takamichi-san."

Negi agrees. "Yes, Takahata-san."

The older teacher leaves so the two new members of the class can do a proper introduction.

"Hello everyone. I am Tamori Katsako, and first off I'd like to say, if you can, please just call me Kat or Katsako. I'd feel more comfortable that way." She bows a little and goes to sit in her seat.

"Right. My name is Negi," as he is speaking he turns to write on the chalkboard, "Springfield. And as was said, I will be your homeroom teacher and English teacher from now on. So I hope we will all have a good year together."

Asuna seems slightly angry as she looks off to the side. Muttering under her breath, she comments, "Stupid kid…"

---

When class is over, Katsako walks with Negi outside. The birds chirp loudly, fighting over a few bits of corn someone happened to have strewn about. The last of the afternoon light beams down through the shade of the trees, making little dancing bright spots in their shadows.

"Well, I don't think today went all that badly," Negi says.

"No. It could have always been worse. I will say though, that Asuna girl seems like a grouch."

"Oh? But the dean said I could stay in his granddaughter's room… who also bunks with Asuna. But then I asked him what you would do and he assigned you to room with Sasaki Makie and Izumi Ako."

"So… he really is treating me like a student." She reaches around behind her and brings her hair around front. "Well, as long as I have my ribbon here, you and I don't have to worry."

"Your ribbon?"

Kat smiles. "Yep. You see," she removes it, allowing her hair to flow free, "if I fold it in the shape of the letter K…" She begins to fold it near the steps while one of the class members, a Miyazaki Nodoka, begins to come down towards them while carrying a large pile of books.

"Let's see…" Negi refers to his class chart. "Number 27, Miyazaki Nodoka."

"Negi!" Kat shouts suddenly. "Hurry!"

Negi looks up to see Nodoka still walking slowly down the stairs. Just as he is about to ask "Why the sudden outburst," the book carrying girl begins to stumble. As she teeters over Negi swiftly runs in and, using wind magic to slow her fall, catches the plummeting girl. Books rain down, falling all around.

Farther away, Asuna happens to catch this. Curiosity takes over and she walks over to the two new additions to the class.

"Miyazaki-san, are you okay?" Negi asks.

Katsako stands up, taking her ribbon off the ground and dusting it off. "She'll be fine. You did well my gallant little knight."

"Thank you, Miss Tamori."

"What the hell was that?" The voice jerks their attention to the belled red-head behind them.

"N- N- N- Noth… I was…"

Katsako is about to put the ribbon back in her hair when Nodoka begins to stir.

"Negi… Sensei?" she asks quietly from her blurred stupor.

Asuna grabs the kid by the neck and drags the blue-haired girl by the arm and charges off quickly, Kat's hair flowing in the wind. Both hostages look shocked at the power of the girl railroading them.

Asuna dumps the two out in the nearby woods and instantly demands an explanation.

"Okay you two! Something odd is going on here and I want to know what it is. You both seem awfully chummy with each other and what just went on with Nodoka-san there?" she hisses. "You," she points at Katsako, "seemed to know what was going to happen before it did and you," she motions to Negi, "you're a freak. You're a couple of mutant superheroes aren't you? Where are the rest of the X-Men?"

As if she is ignoring the ragin' Kaguarazaka, Katsako remains silent as she ties the ribbon back in her hair.

"I'm not a superhero!" argues Negi.

"No, you're a mutant superhero! There's a difference!"

"I'm not a mutant superhero either! I- Imma mage!"

Kat begins to ask, "Negi… I thought that…"

She's immediately overpowered with, "There really isn't much of a difference if you ask me! They had Storm! And Jubilee."

"But she was so weak that I really wouldn't consider Jubilee…" Kat half says before being muscled out of the conversation again.

"Now you'll need to keep that a secret…"

"Like hell I will!"

"Oh, there you are Asuna. What's going on?" The voice belongs to her friend Konoka.

"These two are up to some shady things." Asuna goes on to explain her hypothesis, "Though they shouldn't, they know each other! And over by the steps, Nodoka was about to fall and she, Jean Grey there, knew it before it happened. He used some kind of powers and softened her landing when he caught her and now he's claiming to be a mage!"

Konoka's eyes light up. "Are you really a mage Negi-sensei? I love occult stuff and magic is awesome. Could you show me?"

"I'm going to have to, starting with you Asuna-san. I'm going to erase your memories! I can't have you telling anyone that I'm a mage. Sorry." He draws the staff from off his back and aims it at the now scared girl. "This may end up resetting your memories completely…"

With a wavering voice, she asks, "Reset my memories?"

Negi fires off his spell and the arcane force resets… her wardrobe.

Katsako takes a good look at what just happened, analyzing with a critical eye. "There's something odd about her," she mutters to herself.

Asuna breaks down and begins to cry. "WhaaaaaaaAAAAaaaa!"

"… Oops."

Konoka looks on in awe, mostly out of interest for the magic she's just seen. Slightly farther away, Takamichi hears the shouting and heads in its direction, not expecting to find what he sees. Negi, Konoka, Katsako, and Asuna… who happens to only be wearing threads.

The knowledge that Takahata has just seen her naked is too much for Asuna to bear. She runs off still unclothed. Konoka hurries to try and catch her friend, with Negi right behind her, with the hope he can smooth things over. Kat stays behind with the other teacher.

"Aren't you going to go catch up with the others?" Takahata asks the girl with the sky-blue hair.

"No. I can't get involved. This counts as a human-on-human thing," she answers.

Takahata gives her a weird look. "What does that mean?"

"You're a sort of a mage. I can tell it. So you'll be more likely to believe me when I say I'm not human."

"So what are you then?"

---

The black cloaked monster walks down a darkly lit hallway made of grim stone. He passes a window which shows a view of the landscape outside. Wherever it is, it certainly isn't anywhere on Earth. Black swaths of land retch up great black stones and dead trees. Grayed yellow skies carrying darkened clouds hang over head.

"Sooo… where are we?" asks the decapitated albino's head.

"We are beyond your understanding fool's head." He pulls a large metal ring attached to a heavy wooden door.

Inside the room, pyres burn in every corner and one suspended from the ceiling, flooding the room with a dim light.

"Where are we now?" the head asks. With no answer forthcoming, Howell plows on. "Are we there yet?"

The King of Dust slams the head down on a table filled with equipment, completely ignoring the question posed to him. He walks over to a stand along the northern wall in the room and holds out his left hand, palm up. A dark energy spirals into existence above his hand as he chants.

Howell doesn't recognize the language.

The lights of The King's eyes change from red to white and then to a deep blue. A crimson fluid pools in his palm, quickly drawn up into the black energy like a vapor. Kneeling down, he takes a bottle from a cabinet in the stand, uncorks it, and sets it in the middle below the black orb. Slowly, and with purpose, he scrawls a circle of symbols and runes around it. The black energy condenses down into a liquid and drips into the small glass container.

When the black energy is fully in the bottle, The King opens the front of his cloak. Since the black cloaked monster is facing away, the only thing Howell can sense is the sound of a quiet inhalation as the bottle apparently gets placed in an inside pocket within the cloak.

When he turns around again, his eyes are once again red lights.

"So now what?" Howell asks.

The King of Dust's eye lights focus on the talking head. Howell feels himself avoiding the glances. If he could swallow, he would.

"You seem to be under the impression that I am your friend…" The King snarls softly. "I am your lord and master. Nothing more. I will be back for you if I need you or your ingredients." With his clawed gauntlet clad right hand, he lifts Howell by his hair again and places him in a wardrobe filled with other random bits of decayed human.

The cabinet is dark on the inside and smells horrific. He can swear he hears a heartbeat.

---

"I never would have believed you," Takahata says to Kat. "So why haven't you told Negi?"

"I… think it would be best if he didn't know. I don't want to scare him."

"That's probably for the best."

They both step out of the small grove and back out on to the pavement.

Before they part ways, Kat comments, "It was really nice speaking with you. Perhaps you'd like to talk again over dinner or something…?"

Confused, Takahata asks "Are you asking me on a date?"

Katsako blushes and looks down. "Not exactly. I was thinking about how you humans need to eat and I figured dinner would be a good time to find out a bit more about this place here and you seem to know quite a bit about here. Knowing more would be useful in my job here." She twiddles her fingers. Quickly, she realizes she used the word 'here' a bit too much. The idea that she must look like an idiot passes through her mind.

"Sure. I think that would be okay. Would tomorrow night at around seven work for you?"

Embarrassed, Katsako nods. "Yes. Any time would be good."

"I'll see you then." Takahata turns and walks away with a small wave.

Kat smiles cheerfully and heads in the direction Negi followed Asuna in.

---

Negi is walking behind the formerly naked girl, having restored her clothes shortly after she fled. Konoka is right next to him. Since finding out that he's a mage, he's quickly become her new favorite person.

She has also taken the role of mediator between the two parties.

"Come on Asuna. He said he was sorry," pleads Konoka. "Besides, my grandfather told him to room with us."

"He's going to ruin my life at this rate! What makes you think I'd want him in the same room as me, huh? And for that matter, why can't he simply room with that friend of his?"

"She's going to room with Makie-san and Ako-san," Negi answered.

Asuna asks the boy, "Why here of all the places in the entire world, did you have to come here and screw things up. Why?"

The boy says timidly, "Well, it's part of my certification to become a master mage. See as a mage, it's my duty to go and secretly assist people using my powers. It's highly respected non-government work amongst the residents of the magic world.

"Right now, I'm on a probationary contract. So I have to be careful not to let my secret out."

Asuna grabs the child by his shirt collar. "And what happens if someone uncovers you?"

"Well, first I'd lose my license and I'd get sent back home. When I got back they'd turn me into an ermine."

Asuna laughs creepily enough to scare the young boy in her clutches. "So that's how it is, huh? Well, then, in order for you to smooth things over with me, I'm going to need your help."

Konoka can sense Asuna is up to something. "Oh dear."

"Konoka, I'll meet you back at our room later."

"But—!"

"Later Konoka!"

Without a second attempt at an argument, Konoka lets her friend walk away, dragging the boy behind her, hoping that Asuna will remember the party. After she is a good distance away, Katsako finally catches up to her.

Looking past her shoulder, Katsako asks, "Where are Negi and Asuna-san?"

"It's best we don't disrupt Asuna right now. So, are you a mage like Negi-sensei?"

"No. Listen, I need to speak with Negi right now—" is all Kat can say before being cut off.

"Oh don't worry so much. Come with me," the brunette says while grabbing Kat's hand and pulling her in the opposite direction. "We are having a welcoming party for Negi, and since you both are new I think that should include you too." She is all smiles as she leads Katsako back to the classroom.

"So tell me," Konoka continues, "are you a mage like Negi-sensei?"

"Not really, no. But I don't think it would be a good idea to tell you the truth either…"

---

Just like Konoka hoped, Asuna does remember the classroom… but only because she needs to pick up some stuff. When she opens the door, the two of them are greeted by a great cacophony of joyful noise. Small popping fireworks, streamers, confetti, and cheering from the girls of 2-A take the new teacher and his student by surprise.

"Oh, that's right! We were having a welcoming party for you!"

In a clear enough tone, during a well timed low spot in the noise, Ayaka merits, "Thanks for showing up late Asuna-san."

Asuna growls and holds her fist up in response to the rep's snide comment.

Negi is quickly shuffled to the middle of the room by the girls and made to sit down as the special guest of honor. A good few of them crowd together around him, offering him food, complimenting his Japanese, and remarking how cute and adorable he is.

"Took you a while. What were you two up to?" Konoka asks her friend while handing her a drink.

"Nothing a good stiff belt won't fix." Asuna swigs her punch and pounds the cup down in the table with a firm exhalation.

"Excuse me… Negi-sensei…?"

"Ah, Miyazaki-san. You're the Library Monitor, right?"

With a red face covered by her hair, she says, "Since… you saved me earlier… I wanted to give you this to say thank you and as a show of my gratitude." She sticks a book awkwardly out to him.

"Way to make a move, Honya-chan!"

"It's not like that and I'm not Honya!"

"Thank you Miyazaki-san." Negi cheerfully takes the book. He looks around and asks, "Have you seen Tamori-san? Since she is new I think she should participate too."

Kazumi replies, "She said it was a bit human in here for her, whatever that means, so she greeted Ako-san and Makie-san, her roommates, and left."

"Ah. Well, I can't force her."

Negi decides to spend a good time at the party, eating and drinking and receiving bronze statues from the rep, which, while tastefully sculpted, are a bit much. He "helps" Asuna by reading Takahata's mind, which mostly involved the red head's panties. When Negi relays this information, Asuna sees fit to run away.

When he catches up with her…

"I'll make the love potion for you. It might take a few months but I can do it!"

Asuna protests, "Just leave me alone! And keep out of my business."

"Listen Asuna-san, as your teacher from now on, it is my responsibility to see that my students are happy."

"It's an unrequited love. I know that he'll never feel anything for me… Even if you had a love potion."

"Magic would be no good here anyway. Ojii-san said once: Our magic is not omnipotent. A little bit of courage is the real magic." Asuna turns and walks away. "Did… Did I say something wrong?"

She swishes back around. "No. I understand that showing a little courage goes a long way. I'll try being a bit more courageous."

Katsako walks by a little later, not going much further than a nearby corner, to hear Asuna talking. She isn't wearing the bells in her hair and she seems… anxious? The blue haired girl can't quite place it.

"I… Sensei… I love you." Katsako's expression changes to a calm look of resolve and understanding. Asuna whirls around again. "But it would never work out between us. You're a teacher and I am a student."

Negi grabs her shoulder and they both end up face to face, with such a small distance between them. Both kids are flushed as they look into each other's eyes.

"Is… Is it okay if… we keep going?"

Katsako steps back and away with a pleasant smile on her face. She opens a door and heads up to the roof.

---

The sun is going down when Katsako opens the door and steps out. She makes her way over to the edge to look out over Mahora. The breeze picks up enough to make her hair flow. She is fully aware of the footsteps approaching from behind.

"Be careful you don't fall over the edge now." The owner of the voice is a small blonde girl. Right behind her is a taller, green haired girl. Kat chooses to ignore them. The speaker becomes impatient with her. "Listen, I can sense when magical beings cross into my grounds here. And you're glowing like the sun."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slay you where you stand vampire?"

"I know what you are too."

"Congratulations. Do you want your prize in one lump sum or paid out over 20 years? I'm sure you can spare the time."

With a quick burst of movement all parties quickly end up at each other throats. Kat has small runed circles with small orbs of silver energy in the palms of her hands, and aimed at the heads of both of the other girls. Evangeline, after speaking her release in the short instant, has a dark orb on her fingertip, pointing it right at Kat's right eye and Chachamaru has a blade at the blue haired girl's neck.

"And yet I still win this situation," comments Katsako.

"Is that so? As I remember, in that form, you're just as weak as a normal human."

Kat huffs a laugh. "You're severely underestimating me."

"Feh. The two of us are more than a match for you."

Chachamaru punches Kat in the gut and Eva lands a powerful kick there right after. Kat's orbs dissipate as she begins tumbling backwards and over the edge. She trips over the parapet and begins a plummet downward. Before she can splatter all over the ground, she disappears. Eva goes up to the ledge to see the corpse only to find nothing. No red splatter, no body… Just the blue haired girl casually walking away with her arms behind her head.

"She's going to be fun. Come Chachamaru."

Chachamaru nods and follows her petite master.

---

Later and much farther away, in Los Angeles, California, USA.

A young Asian male is talking with another man in a back alley. He lights up a cigarette which shows his features, including a patch over his left eye.

Two red specks of light come from down the alley and stop, their owner not making a sound while leaning against a wall and watching. The two men continue their conversation, unaware of their visitor. The fire of the cancer stick bobs up and down as the one man speaks.

The smoking man tosses out a couple of names and the larger man answers that he doesn't know anything about that, asking if the guy with the cigarette is a cop. The smoking man answers that he's an errand boy and then remembers that he was telling the big guy about the fact that he stole someone else's car and beat the crap out of them, then shot him three times in the chest and then raped his girlfriend and shot her between the eyes afterwards.

It isn't long before the smoker crushes his light under his shoe. They toss racial remarks between each other and then begin to fight. The smoking man spends a little time, as the local terminology will allow, kicking the shit out of the big guy. As he lay there, bleeding, the smaller guy pulls a pistol out of his coat and screws a silencer into the end of it.

The red lights flare up energetically.

Three shots tear into the grounded man's chest and then one more rips a hole in between his eyes. As the shooter leaves the alley, the owner of the red lights exhales which makes the sound of a distant winter wind. Quietly, the owner of the lights whispers, "You are an angel…"

The shooter tightens his coat around him. It seems that it is going to be cold tonight.

The owner of the red lights steps over to the dead body. The garbage in a nearby trashcan sets ablaze, providing a soft orange light. The light reveals the dark cloak of The King. He kneels down and sticks a claw in the bullet hole in the dead man's forehead, making blood spurt out from the edges. A few moments of digging produces a small metal lump. He observes it in the weak light, how the light plays off the lead and blood.

"Why he simply did not blow your head off… I do not care." He flicks the bullet into the burning barrel, making a metallic ding as it bounces off one of the inner walls. "I do find it quite a useful development though." His attention draws down to the corpse. "Wake up… Mister Johnny Lee Coker."

The dead body of Johnny opens its eyes. "Uuuugh… Fuck. What happened?"

"You died Mister Coker, which means you fall into my jurisdiction now. Stand up."

Johnny does as The King instructs. Blood flows forth from the new hole in his head. "So what do you mean I'm in your jurisdiction? Who the hell do you think you are? And why are you wearing a mask? This ain't Mardi Gras and you're a hell of a long way from New Orleans."

"I am the one true god of the dead Mr. Coker. I am The King of Dust. And this is not a mask. This is my face."

"What a fucking joke, you're telling me you ain't human then?"

"I spit on the human race Mr. Coker. I am of dragon blood. Far above and beyond you pitiful monkeys."

"What bullshit man… Fuck you! You ain't no goddamn dragon. You're just some fucked up coke hound looking for his next hit." Johnny begins to walk off.

The King holds out his right hand, causing Johnny to tumble over. The monster slowly pads over to him, each step making an audible click. "You're existence now wholly depends on me. Right now, I am preventing you from moving. You see, when something dies, its brain and therefore all of its other vital organs shut down. I'd think with the number of people you yourself have killed, that'd be completely obvious. You may notice that you can resist a little, but that's just the last of the electrical charge in your brain firing off. I can even shut off your ability to taste, touch, smell, see…"

Johnny loses the view of the bottom of the King's cloak. "Even your ability to hear, but I rather want you to listen to what I am saying."

"Then why me? I'm a human."

Johnny's eyesight returns. The King puts both hands on Johnny's shoulders, forcing Johnny to look up to his eye lights. "Because you are, or rather were, a very angry man and anger knows no race. If you decide to work for me, I'll offer you a chance at revenge on the one that brought you to me. If not, I'll let you get on with the rotting you were about to do."

"You ain't giving me much of a choice, are you?"

The King shook his head. "…No. So, what say you?" He takes his left hand and offered it for a shake.

Johnny's first reaction is to stick his right arm out. This confuses him for a second until he switches hands. He grabs and shakes The King's hand firmly. The lights of The King's eyes grow intense for a moment. When that's done, Johnny stands up.

The King holds out his right hand and makes a concentration of black energy flare up. "You made the right choice Mr. Coker…"

As they walk out of the alley into the dark, The King reaches into his cloak, once again producing the quiet inhaling noise. He holds out a vial and looks at the dark fluid inside. Three quarters of the contents remain as he swishes it around. Drops cling to the side of the vial when he stops and places it back within his cloak.

"What's that noise?" Johnny asks as the inhalation noise is heard again as The King opens his cloak, though he can't see in the dark.

"None of your concern Mr. Coker. There are greater things for me to focus on."

---

The two of them enter into the room where The King left Howell's head. The monster opens the cabinet again and takes the head out. He hands it to Johnny and begins walking away.

"What do you want me to do with this?" Johnny asks.

"I want the both of you to get out of this room."

Howell, seemingly unaffected by being in a cabinet full of body parts, asks, "So where will we be staying?"

"You're both dead. You require neither room nor board." With that, he walks away, leaving the door open. "Keep each other company for all I care. I will not be requiring you where I am going."

When he's gone, Johnny turns Howell's head to look at him. Howell smiles at him and asks, "What's your name?"

"Johnny Coker, freak job."

"You've got red on you…" Howell observes.

"Worthless." Johnny walks out and of the room and tosses Howell down the stairs. "See you at the bottom!" Johnny cackles.

---

Katsako arrives at the door to her new room later that day, taking a second to confirm names. With a flare of white light, she runs a finger over the door in a strange pattern. The pattern is an arcane symbol that starts to glow then fades away slowly.

"Home away from home I guess," she sighs. The blue haired girl sits down outside the room.

About a half hour later, Ako and Makie show up to find Katsako propped up against the wall near the door.

"Um… Katsako-san?" asks Ako.

"Hmm? Oh, hello Makie-san, Ako-san."

"Hiya!" Makie says energetically.

Ako asks the new girl, "What are you doing?"

"I tried to go in but the door is locked." Kat points weakly to the door.

Ako exclaims. "Oh that's right! We completely forgot. We're sorry Katsako-san. We'll have to get you a key soon."

"Hey," Kat waves it off "don't worry about me." She stands up and brushes her outfit off. "The time went by in an instant."

"Well come on in," Makie says as Ako unlocks the door.

"I hope it doesn't feel like I'm intruding." Kat looks embarrassed as she enters.

Happily, Makie says, "Of course not!"

"I'll try to remain as unobtrusive as possible." The blue haired girl's voice is small.

"Good luck with that," Ako warns her. "Our class can get pretty rowdy so being out of the way really won't be possible. Yeah we have a couple of quieter classmates, but don't be afraid to speak up and have a good time.

"By the way, it was odd that you happened to show up at the same time as our new teacher."

Kat thinks swiftly. "I transferred before school started so it was inevitable that if you were to get a new teacher that we'd arrive on the same day."

Makie agrees. "That's true."

Kat looks around the room, noticing the various details. The items around the room speak volumes about the varying tastes of its inhabitants.

"Oh!" the blue haired girl chirps suddenly. "We should do something to commemorate."

Makie agrees. "We totally should."

"How about dinner," Katsako asks, "my treat?"

"Really?" Ako asks.

Kat smiles brightly. "Yes. I find food warms humans up rather quickly. And since I'm new, why not do something special? Plus, if I pay, the likelihood of you showing me the best place to eat here increases. So what do you say?"

Both of the other girls agree to the idea of celebrating a new roommate and go to prepare for going out. Kat simply waits as her two roomies get changed.

---

They end up following Makie to… a beef bowl. "Here. I like this place."

All three of them are dressed casually after spending 20 minutes preparing.

"Oh come on," Ako pleads, "she said the best place to eat. Not… this."

"What?" Makie argues. "This is the best place to eat."

Ako groans. "She wanted the best place to eat, not your favorite."

"Well, when you think about it, the best place to eat is really a matter of opinion," the pink haired girl reasons.

Kat agrees with her and adds, "I'm not much of one for randomness, but at the same time, I can't choose sides. So how about you two flip a coin or something?"

"Aww… Would you at least be willing to see the other place?" Ako asks.

"Of course! I'm always up for going to new places!" exclaims the blue haired girl.

"Okay then," Makie says. "But don't forget about this place."

Kat acknowledges. "I won't."

They walk all the way to the place Ako thought of. A fancy place a few blocks down the road. The debate about where to go is about to kick up again.

"Oh, this place looks nice." Katsako enters without hesitation.

Makie is still a bit pouty when she and Ako enter.

They sit down and get waited on right away. Kat orders quickly and with a lot of enthusiasm. Ako orders like a normal person, and Makie orders like a normal person on a depressing day.

"You ordered rather quickly and were awfully excited." Ako asks, "Is that your favorite?"

"Not at all." Kat is all smiles.

"Then what was that all about?"

"I've never had it before!" Kat states. "Now about you Makie-san, how about we go to that place you wanted to tomorrow perhaps? So please cheer up. It's supposed to be a fun time. It's the end of the first day back in class with a new teacher… a new student and roommate."

The gymnast sighs. "You're right. Tomorrow I'll take you to the beef bowl place."

"Sounds like a plan, Makie-san."

---

Eventually, they get their meals and finish them off. When they make it back to the room, something dawns on Ako.

"Katsako-san, I didn't see you bring any bags or anything."

Kat seems a little uneasy. "Um… I don't mean any disrespect or anything, but could you just call me Kat or Katsako. And I brought my bags in. Didn't you see?" Ako doesn't remember all too well whether she had bags or not. "It wasn't much, I'll admit. I like to travel light."

After sorting out her bed, Kat excuses herself from the room. She makes her way to the roof of the building and expects to be greeted by the vampire girl and the robot again. When no such thing happens, she finds a nice wall to… place her ribbon on. Carefully, she folds it into a "K" shape.

A fancy door ripples into reality on the wall. The girl turns the knob and enters, emerging not but a few minutes later with a glass bottle, a goblet, and strange metal device. She sets the goblet down on the barrier wall around the edge of the building. Using the metal thing on the top of the bottle, she makes a few twists which create a satisfying pop when she lifts the arms of the device up. The metal thing gets placed to the side in favor if the glass.

A dark crimson fluid flows into the glass. Kat sets the bottle on the ceiling, against the wall.

"Well dad… I started a new adventure today. I'll still remember my duty, but thanks to my big mouth, I've become appointed as the guardian of a human child and teacher." She sighs, takes a whiff of the goblet's contents, and sips. "No, I won't treat him any different than a standard human, but… I'm not sure how to handle this really. This is something new entirely.

"I mean… I like him well enough… and if I waited long enough… Well, I suppose that's for me to figure out isn't it. How did you handle it? I know you said I was ready but I'm still way too green for this I think. I am trying as hard as I can, and I know that's all you ever expect of me... but what if I fail in either of my duties?"

She sighs and sips her drink again. Speaking in perfect English she comments, "Like you said, nothing to it but to do it!"

---

**End Chapter Three…**


	4. Love

**Blood Scrawled Note:** So yeah... A big one year delay. It's complicated and I'm not going to talk about it. Sorry about the wait. Every character is property of their respective owners.

**The King of Dust**

_We need others. We need others to love and we need to be loved by them. There is no doubt that without it, we too, like the infant left alone, would cease to grow, cease to develop, choose madness and even death._

_-Leo Buscaglia, LOVE_

**Chapter 4: Love**

The next morning finds Katsako sitting in bed, her legs dangling down off the side. She is still wearing the outfit from yesterday, listening to her roommate's breath. Ako is the first one up of the other two and notices that Kat is awake. She doesn't think much of it at the moment and begins to get ready for the day. Within that time span, Makie also wakes up.

"Mornin' Kat!"

"Good morning Makie-san. Feeling chipper this morning?"

"Yup!"

Katsako smiles in reponse, making it look like she knows something but isn't letting on.

"What's with the creepy smile this early in the morning?"

Kat laughs. "Nothing. Really."

Ako finishes up and exits with slightly damp hair, allowing Makie to start her routine. Ako, wrapped in a towel, goes past Kat sitting on the bed, not really paying her any attention. When she turns back, Kat is no longer sitting on the bed. She looks around the small apartment briefly but doesn't find her.

"Huh… And I was going to make breakfast."

* * *

As everyone heads to class, Negi, Asuna, and Konoka follow along with the flow in what will soon become the usual grind. As they chase along with the others, Negi spots some familiar sky-blue hair with a white ribbon in it. He's already keeping pace with Konoka and Asuna so this speed is good enough.

As he approaches, Kat holds her hand out, her palm pointing back and facing Negi. He catches the message and slaps her hand, making the audible clap of a high five.

"Hey Negi… Er, right school grounds. Negi-sensei. How are you this morning?"

"Good."

"Hello Katsako-san!" Asuna says.

At the same time, Konoka greets with "Good morning, Katsako-san."

"Seriously guys… Just Kat or Katsako, even Tamori would be fine."

"But that would be rude, wouldn't you think?" asks the lone brunette.

"I'm not into the whole disrespect thing, if you could call it a thing," Kat explains. "I'm just not too big on hierarchies. My father was that way too. Everyone is equal. Honorifics imply one."

"If only the world worked that way Kat, if only." Asuna smiles and pats her on the back.

"The dynamic between you Negi a little bit ago… You two must have known each other from before," Konoka accuses cheerfully.

"Okay, so yes we did. I happened to be there when he graduated."

"So why'd you follow him here?" Konoka asks.

Kat sighs. "Because I ended up being his guardian, as it were."

Asuna snickers at first, and then lets out with a laugh. "Are you serious? How did you get stuck looking out for a squirt like him?"

"I made his elder a promise because I didn't know when to shut my mouth. And a promise to a human is a very important thing."

"Why did you use the word 'human'? Couldn't you just have said 'A promise is an important thing'? We're all humans here… Well three humans and a Negi. Maybe two humans, a Negi, and an esper."

"Kat's not a human. She's an angel."

Asuna laughs again. "Seems he's taken with you."

Kat pleads, "Please listen to me Negi-sensei; I am not an angel."

"If she were an angel," observes Konoka, "she could show us her pretty wings."

Kat looks like she's trying to either move a ship out to port or grow a turtle shell. After a moment of nothing, she stands up. "Ouch… My back."

"Nope. No angel here," Asuna laughs kiddingly.

* * *

As Negi walks down the hall, he meets Ayaka Yukihiro. She is stopped at her foot locker in the entrance. She perks up upon seeing him. He looks so cute in his little suit and those glasses. As the class representative, she takes it upon herself to show him to the classroom.

"Good morning, Negi-sensei. Shall I show you to the classroom?"

"Yes. Thank you Iincho-san."

"My name's Yukihiro Ayaka. I trust you slept well last night."

"Yes, very much."

"That's good. It's best for the students if a teacher gets plenty of rest."

As they enter the classroom, Ayaka grabs a plummeting eraser, preventing it from dropping on Negi's head. With a few swift moves, she tosses it back to the blackboard's tray and levels a look at Fuka. The small girl winces as she knows she's been caught.

When everyone gets settled, Nodoka leads the call to stand and bow.

"Good morning!" comes enthusiastically from girls.

Negi replies with his own greeting. "Good morning. Shall we begin the day then?"

* * *

After class… a really bad class that left Negi terrified and Asuna in a different outfit from the start of the day, him and Kat sit near a statue in a plaza near the school. The statue stands over the two of them, dedicated to someone forgotten. It watches over both of them with a serious look on its face, passing some unseen judgment on them as it does with everyone who chances by it.

"Listen Negi… I'm sure everything will be fine with Asuna," Kat tells him. "She'll probably need to blow off steam for a month or two, then she'll be as right as rain."

"A month or two?" Negi exclaims.

"Yeah."

"But that's so long…"

"Not really. Think about it. You're what, nine going on ten, right? If you live to be a hundred, two months is a spit in the ocean. And with you two being a couple now anyway…"

Negi freaks out. "WHAT? How did you come to this conclusion?"

"Aww… Don't be so shy about it. I saw her confessing to you in the stairwell." Kat continues, her voice a bit flat, "I think you would make a cute couple."

Negi shakes his head. "No! You got the wrong idea! She was practicing confessing to Takahata!"

"Ooooh…" Kat's face turns red. "Boy, do I feel stupid, and that's saying something. Well, I still think she'll forgive you. Quite frankly, she had nothing to be embarrassed about and it was in front of a class of other girls. Seriously, she takes baths naked with them, so you know, just putting that out there."

Negi flushes hotly at what she just said. "You're not helping any…"

"Sorry."

The trio of Haruna, Nodoka, and Yue approach the young teacher. They seem highly anxious, with Nodoka standing out in front.

"Sorry for intruding, Negi-sensei, but we had a question about today's lesson." The student, Saotome Haruna, asks from behind her friend with the hair covering her eyes.

"Saotome Haruna, was it? What did you need to know about?"

"It not really me, It's her."

Haruna and the other girl he recognizes as Ayase Yue push the hair girl forward.

"Miyazaki Nodoka, right?"

"Y- Yes. I… was…"

Without any warning, Haruna lifts the hair off of her friend's face. "Isn't she just the cutest? She has such a pretty face, but she almost never shows it. Such a shame, right?" Haruna winks deviously.

Nodoka turns a bright red at the fact that Negi is now looking at her bare face. All this emotion is too much for the girl to handle, causing her to run away.

Haruna apologizes. "Sorry about that Negi-sensei." She follows Yue in chasing after Nodoka.

"What was that about? Didn't she have a question?"

Kat smiles. "Heaven help those poor girls when you grow up."

"Huh?"

"Never mind," she shakes her head while grinning.

Negi snaps his fingers. "I got it!"

"What's that?"

"A way I can help Asuna! I have these magical pills here." He reaches into his bag and pulls out a vial with a cork stopper.

"Uh… Magical pills?"

"Yes. My grandfather gave them to me a number of years ago. I think with these I can make a love potion. This might just be the only thing I can do for her. I want to make things right with her since I have kind of ruined her life recently. Come on!" Negi goes rushing off into the woods, full of vigorous energy.

"As long as they didn't come from mommy's magical medicine cabinet." Katsako stands up and chases after him.

It's not too long before Negi has a small, novice alchemical set up and working. Mortar, pestle, calcinator, alembic, and retort all ready, bubbling away. He recites his key and then channels magic into the potion. A puff of smoke rises from the bubbling potion, signifying it is ready.

"This will make anyone irresistible to the opposite sex!" He corks the boiling tube and begins the clean up process.

"Anyway I can help?"

"Umm… Here." He hands over the potion to Kat. "Take this to Asuna and tell her it's the love potion she wanted. I'll pick up here and come as quickly as I can."

"Right. See you when you get there."

She walks away with a strange bounce in her step.

* * *

Katsako enters the room and waves at Asuna. The red head raises her eyebrow in response.

"Hey Asuna-san. I have something for you. Negi said you wanted this love potion." She takes it out of her coat pocket and tries handing it to Asuna.

"I told him I didn't need it!"

"I'm just the delivery girl."

Asuna sighs. "I know, but given his track record, I can't really trust it, you know?"

"Understandable. I don't really think anyone needs a love potion anyway." She places it on the table and sits down. "May I ask… Who were you trying to win the favor of anyway?"

Reluctantly, Asuna replies, "Takahata-sensei."

"Really?"

Asuna rests her head on her arms. "He's… just so sophisticated. Like he knows how a woman should be treated. And the way he moves, so debonair and smooth."

"And Negi's just a bumbling little kid."

"Yes."

"He's trying his best you know. He really does feel awful for what he has been doing and he's kind of beaten up on the inside. This is his way of trying to say he's sorry."

"He stripped me naked in front of Takahata and then tried repeating the same thing in class!"

"Well, I can't get involved in human affairs or influence your opinion in any manner so I guess I'll leave it at that then. I wonder if this actually works though."

"Knowing him, it probably eats away your clothes."

Kat pulls the stopper out and sniffs it. She holds her tongue out and drops a bit on it. Reacting badly, she shrivels away from it, spitting what little got in her mouth out.

"That bad huh?" Asuna asks.

"I just don't like the flavor," Kat answers. She corks it back up and sets it down again. "I can't tell if it worked or not either because there aren't any boys around and I didn't drink any."

"Probably for the best. If it did work, more than likely he overdid it. Then they'd be all over you."

"Hey, Katsako-san. Where were you this whole time?" Ayaka asks after she finally catches sight of the new girl. "You were scheduled to help with the clean-up."

"I was with Negi, like usual. Speaking of him, here he comes."

Like she was predicting the future, Negi comes into class hurriedly. He rushes over to Kat, Asuna, and Ayaka.

"Well?" he asks Kat. "Did she accept?"

"No I didn't!" Asuna stands up and grabs the vial off the table. "In fact, I'm gonna trash it right now before this stuff screws my life up even more." She turns and heads to the trash can.

"What was that stuff?" Ayaka asks Kat.

Answering truthfully, Kat answers, "A potion of love he wanted to repay Asuna with. It's supposed to make you utterly irresistible to the other gender. Makes me wonder how it would work on mushrooms."

"A love potion… from Negi-sensei. I could use that to make him love me!" She quickly realizes the implications and chases after Asuna. "Listen Asuna-san! If you're just going to toss it, can I have it instead?" Her tone is overly friendly. "Certainly it would be better if I drank it, rather than letting it go to waste."

"Absolutely not," refuses Asuna. "You're not getting it on the grounds that, if somehow it does happen to work, Negi's under the age of consent."

"First off, I am appalled that you think I'd go that far! Secondly, it's not like it will, right? It's just a harmless trinket, isn't it? So why not let me have it then? Negi spent his hard earned money on it and it doesn't deserve to be thrown in the trash. Recycling and all."

Eventually, the argument boils down into a tug-of-war over the bottle, with neither side willing to give even the slightest. The strain causes their hands to develop a fine film of sweat, loosening their grip. Asuna adjusts her grip which ends up jarring the cork. At this point, everyone in the room except Negi, who is trying to stop the both of them, is watching as the two girls refuse to release the item to the other.

Both of them, pulling with all their strength, lose their hold. While trying to save it, Ayaka inadvertently knocks it into the air. It slowly arcs over to Kat as the cork flies out. It bounces off her head, and ends up dropping some of the potion in her open mouth as she says "Ouch." She swallows the small bit of potion and shudders.

The change in angle causes it to fly over to Konoka. "Are you—?" She gets cut off by the open vial flying into her mouth. Her only reaction is to drink. She pulls the glass container out of her mouth and licks her lips. "Mmm, pineapple."

Now the chaos starts. Negi slides up to Kat and gives her a big hug. "Thank you Negi-sensei," Kat says as she smiles. She gives him a hug back.

Ayaka scoffs. "Negi-sensei… I can't believe what you just did… But… Konoka-san… Have your eyes always been that pretty?"

"But I thought that… Huh." Kat half-thinks.

"Ayaka-san?" Konoka asks as the blonde gets ever closer.

The cheerleading squad of Misa, Madoka, and Sakurako begin to be affected by the potion's magic. All three begin vying for Konoka's attention with Ayaka.

Negi still hasn't let go of Katsako and is, in fact, snuggling her tighter.

"Umm… Negi? You okay? Something up?" she asks.

"I love you," Negi says, his face buried in her chest.

"Aww… "

"Negi, get the heck off of her. Ayaka, can you see what you're doing? And what the hell is going on?"

"Asuna-san," Kat answers from Negi's love hold of death, "I think his love potion worked. Quite well to be perfectly honest."

"Well how come I'm not affected?"

"I can't say, but I think it would be good if the two of us," Kat says as Konoka is being buried in her classmates, "got to higher ground until this effect ends. I have a feeling that this is not really a good thing."

"Right, let's run."

Asuna dashes over and grabs Konoka's arm and pulls her from the crowd. Kat, only having to deal with the small affectionate boy, runs as best she can with Negi's extra weight hanging off of her.

"What's going on?" asks Konoka as she is dragged along by Asuna.

"Remember how Negi is a mage?" Asuna asks without speaking too loudly.

"Yeah."

"Well that was a love potion you just drank."

"Oh. Nothing wrong with love, right Asuna?"

"Just hurry up before the whole class gets a hold of you two."

After dodging a fair amount of their class and a few other people, the trio runs outside the building with the crowd right behind them.

"Weren't we supposed to go to higher ground?" Asuna asks hurriedly.

"I was following you!" Kat answers.

"This is terrific. I _knew_ he'd mess up my life again somehow!"

As they run over to another building, Negi pops his face into Kat's view. "I… want to kiss you."As he presses his face forward, his lips come into contact with her hand.

"Hey, you love me right?"

"More than anything," Negi states.

"Good. If you really love me, get off of me and stand right here." She stops running for just a bit.

Negi shakes his head. "I… I can't. Then I couldn't stand in your divine light."

The blue haired girl groans. "Could you at least get off of me?"

"But the closer I am to you, the better I feel…" Negi whines.

"I'll chalk everything that happens from here on out up to the potion. Could you at least then climb on my back? You are making it quite difficult to move."

"Sure thing."

"Just watch my ribbon. I can't lose it."

"I'll be super careful."

"Wait! My ribbon! We can use that!"

"What do you— Run!" Asuna shouts as she catches sight of crowd of infatuated zombies of both genders coming towards them.

Moans of both girls' names come from the quickly approaching hoard. "Konokaaaaa... Katsakooooo…" They also receive multiple proposals from the infatuated crowd.

Kat remarks, "I'm amazed they even know my name."

"It's magic, who knows why," offers Asuna. "Once it wears off, they'll probably forget who you are again."

"I don't know whether to be relieved or depressed."

Konoka, Asuna, the enraptured Negi, and Kat head into another building as a second swarm of people starts to come from in front of them. They practically kick down the doors to get in. Katsako stops and touches the handles of both closed doors.

"Hurry up or you're going to get trampled or raped or something!" Asuna shouts at the blue haired girl.

Kat whirls around. "Alrighty. That should hold them back. I can't say the same for the other doors or windows in this building or any one inside. So really it was kind of pointless I guess."

"We've gotta hurry! I can hear people coming already. Come on Konoka!"

"I really don't see the big deal you two," Konoka remarks sweetly as they rush down the hallway and around a corner.

"You'll see the big deal when an entire swarm of influenced men and women have had their way with you. I thought it was only supposed to work on the opposite gender. Leave it to Negi to screw it up."

"Oh. Well, when you put it that way... But if they all act like Negi, the world could use a few more hugs, couldn't it?'

"I think that it is more from the fact that he doesn't really understand the mechanics at this point," Kat says, "so love, in his case, seems to be hugging and that kiss he attempted. You know, young teen rated stuff. And as far the girls following us, I don't know. It might be me."

They all make their way up to the second floor.

"How so? Are you actually a boy?" Asuna asks, dodging an opening door.

"No. Last time I checked my stuff I was a girl. Let's just say," she jumps over a few people who have fallen over each other in the middle of the hallway as they were heading towards the four, "I have a very strange aura and leave it at that."

Just as they make it to the third floor, they run into Takahata. He, like everyone else, becomes enraptured. With a swift gesture he is in front of Kat. His eyes are all glazed over like everyone else's so far.

"Hello Katsako…" He's practically drooling. He slowly moves up to her with a big dopey grin on his face.

Asuna gets visibly angry from seeing the teacher she's been crushing on for so long going after a new student and realizing—

"This is all Negi's fault!"

"No time for that now!" Kat shouts as she moves around the teacher. "We need to get to the roof! Show me where to go!"

A large group of the influenced comes from down one of the hallways, forcing Asuna to abandon her rage. She tugs on Konoka's arm again as she leads the group to the next set of stairs. Kat flips around and runs backwards to see Takahata following them while he is, in turn, being followed by a hall stuffing crowd.

One of the influenced girls chasing them almost gets her hand on Konoka as the group heads up another set of stairs. "Please Konoka-san, let me into your heart…"

"Come on…"

"Katsako-san, I love you!" declares one of the male teachers. The honorific causes Kat to trip a little.

"Just Katsako!" she yells back.

"Next floor has the stairs to the roof!" Asuna shouts as they turn and head down a slightly less clogged hallway. She takes the lead in knocking infatuated students and teachers down out of the way, clearing a path for the others to walk through. "Here we are!"

She turns the knob and lets the others in first, quickly slamming the door behind them as she follows them up. Kat hops back after Asuna goes through and taps the door handle the same way she did with the doors on the ground floor.

"What are you doing? You're a mage like him, aren't you? Admit it," Asuna incriminates as she points at the two.

"I'm nothing like Negi. First, I'm a girl. Second, I'm taller." Pointing at hair, she mentions, "Red… Blue…"

"I didn't mean like that! I meant you're just as magical as him. What with what you did there with the door. Mage!"

"Never you mind what I did with the door." Katsako positions her arm just right and pops Negi off. "We'll be safe up here unless this school has siege ladders or something… or one of the students can fly."

The four of them walk over to the edge of the building and the three girls look down while Negi looks at Kat. The hoard of people amassing at the building extends out to quite a distance. All of them moaning for one of the two girls on the roof. "Katsako… Konoka…"

Asuna remarks, "It's like a swarm of rape zombies down there."

"Ojou-sama…" comes a voice from behind them.

Three fourths of them turn around to see a dark-haired girl with a single ponytail off to the left side of her head. Kat begins smelling the air. Her upper lip twitches. The smell… She knows it and it can't mean anything good. She snarls at the new comer.

"Se-chan?" Konoka asks.

"Setsuna-san?" puzzles Asuna

Kat moves in between the both groups, obviously riled about something. She charges forward and lashes out at the girl. This new girl ducks and draws a rather large sword.

"Katsako-san! What are you doing?" Konoka demands to know.

Kat either doesn't hear her or is just ignoring her as she seems to blink out of existence just long enough to avoid the swing, and reappears, landing a punch in the other girl's gut. Setsuna brings her sword around and even before she could swing it, Kat instantly appeared behind her. The blue haired girl applies a sleeper hold on the sword wielder, locking it firmly in place.

Not to be outdone, this other girl sticks the end of her sword against Kat's stomach, pressing the sharp tip against her.

Asuna and Konoka unite in the demand for both of the fighting girls to stop, walking up to the two and separating them.

"How can you trust her?" Kat growls. Asuna can see that her pupils have changed to cat like slits… or were they always like that? Asuna can't remember. Just that they look weird now, almost feral.

Konoka smiles and responds, "She is a friend of mine. Sakurazaki Setsuna. She's also one of our classmates."

With a snort, Kat seems to cool down. Negi slides up closer to her forcing her to sigh.

"So what the hell was that for anyway?" Asuna asks. "You're a freak like him, aren't you?"

"Since it was on your command, I'm sorry. But I _do not_ trust her." She points at Setsuna to show emphasis. "And I keep telling you I am not a mage, nor am I a mutant."

Asuna presses the issue. "Well what was with that teleporting around then?"

"Just give it a rest already, please? I have my reasons and ways and you will never understand them, so why bother telling you?"

Setsuna and Konoka ignore the conversation, mostly because Setsuna has moved really close to Konoka at this point, her cheeks turning ever more crimson.

Setsuna mutters, "O- Ojou-sama… I…" She took a few deep breaths.

Konoka simply looks at her with a slight tilt to her head. "Something wrong Se-chan?"

Suddenly, Setsuna gets Konoka in an embrace, moving her face ever closer to Konoka's lips.

"Okay, break it up you two!" shouts Asuna. "Negi's potion has made everyone start acting stupid." With a fair amount of force, she breaks up the hold Setsuna has on Konoka. She grabs Negi and drags him, along with Setsuna, over to a different corner of the roof.

"I'm keeping you two here until that effect wears off."

Kat looks out over the ever increasing hoard, with Konoka standing beside her. "Well… How's your first experience with magic going?"

"A lot less fun than I thought it would be."

Kat discreetly shifts her focus back to Setsuna.

* * *

"…And so I says to him, 'Fuck you Bob!'"

The King of Dust snorts in response, and then remains quiet for a moment. Deep in concentration as he places Howell's head on a pedestal, he speaks. "Don't talk to me right now."

"Right… Sorry." Johnny steps back a bit.

Howell decides to add his thoughts. "I thought it was a pretty good story."

They are in a large room inside the King's tower. The black clad monster leaps over to a big metal switch handle and pulls it back. Several loud clicks ring out from various spots in the room. Large metal arches, stretching across the room, rise up from the floor and slowly spin in strange spheres. Glass lenses click in and out from various points on the arches, changing the color of lights streaming down. Great gears spin along two sides of the room, sparks emitting from them every now and again as they nick nearby metal.

Evenly, The King advises him, "I didn't ask you what you thought. No one would."

Howell's too busy being enraptured by the multicolored lights beaming into his eyes to respond. All the pretty, pretty colors.

"Say boss, what exactly does this thing do?" Johnny asks.

"If I told you…" answers The King of Dust. "Would you understand anything I said?"

"Fuck, nothing makes sense anymore."

The King remains silent until the machine stops. Without a word, The King flips the switch he used to get the machine running. Once more, loud metal clicks ring out in the room, possibly locking the arches into place. The lights from them no longer shining, Howell lets out a depressed sigh.

The King simply walks away, being followed by Johnny.

"Uh… You want me to grab what's-his-head?"

"He's about outlived his usefulness. His parts are left to rot, and I've now found her time and location. The demon woman from earlier, she would have been useful had she not been a sniveling bitch. Weak filth not fit to bask in my glory. All I can think of use for him now is as a mere puppet."

Johnny nods. "Right. Just leave him."

Noticing he's being left behind, Howell shouts, "Heeeeey yoooou guuuuuys!"

"So… what did that thing do?"

"It told me when."

Johnny decides it's best to just not ask.

* * *

Back at Mahora, the love potion is wearing off. People are blearily stumbling back to where they came from; pondering what possessed them to come from so far away. They resemble chunks of ice flowing away from the shelf as they disperse to the winds.

Katsako, Konoka, and Asuna sit along the edge in the evening sun. Setsuna and Negi, suffering from the backlash of potion influence, fell asleep over in their corner of the building, Negi resting his head on Setsuna's shoulder.

Konoka breaks the silence that has fallen. "So, Katsako-san…" Kat right eyelid twitches. "Why did you attack Se-chan like that?"

"Do you really trust her? Honestly?"

"Of course. We used to play together all the time back home. We're best friends."

Kat looks at Konoka and stares deeply into her eyes. "I would so ever like to see that…" She finishes her sentence by exhaling lightly.

"Hey. Hey. HEY!" exclaims Asuna from her position on the other side of the brunette. "She's doing something weird. I can feel it. First, you know Negi from Mage School, you knew Nodoka was going to fall, that ribbon of yours, and then you mention a strange aura, then the fight with Setsuna… I saw your eyes. They were different."

Kat counters. "Don't be stupid, they've always been reddish-mahogany colored."

"Not like that," she says, emphasizing every word. "Quit dodging the issue. What are you? You've got to be a mage."

"Listen. It's getting late, I got a date, and you two need to haul them back to their rooms."

"OH HO!" Konoka beams at her new friend. "So who's the lucky guy?"

"I'm not saying." Katsako stands up. "I'll catch you both later." Kat walks over to the door and pulls the handle… resulting in it not opening. "Damn it all! Why have a handle if you can't open them from the other side? What if the building burns down? I'm not good with fire!"

"Why not use some of your powers to open it up?" Konoka asks.

"I'm not a mage!" Kat protests.

Asuna calls her on it. "Listen, we can both tell there's something more to you. Give it up. About the only way down from here is if the janitor or someone comes along, Negi wakes up, or you use your powers that we all know you have."

Something struck Kat. "Janitor you say? What's his name?"

"Nuh-uh. You're going to end up using a power or something to bring him here and make it look like you don't have any kind of magic or something."

"But I do—!"

"Don't have magic. Yeah, we've heard this," Asuna tells her as Katsako looks defeated. "Just drop it already. We know Negi's a mage, and you are too. I mean, why would someone with magical power need someone who doesn't to protect them? Come on and help us out."

"Actually, it's a pretty typical set-up from what I gather," Kat mentions. "Fighter protects the mage."

"Just get the door open and stop being stubborn."

Offering other alternatives, Kat mentions, "We could use that sword to pry it open… Maybe the staff he's got…"

They continue to squabble until the door does open. On the other side is a pink haired girl with her hair up into to pigtails, one on each side of her head.

"Hey, what are you guys doing up here?" she asks.

"Makie-san, we are glad to see you," Asuna states, relieved.

"Me too," Kat says. "Well, I'll catch all of you tomorrow… or later this evening in Makie-san's case."

After she was out of earshot, the red head makes her thoughts known. "She bugs me. Not as much as the kid there, but… I don't know. I just wish she'd be honest with us."

"Something up with Katsako-san?" Makie asks.

After a small moment of silence, Asuna speaks. "It's nothing Makie-san. Say, what are you doing up here anyway?"

"I dunno. I just felt like it for some reason."

Asuna sighs as it's clear that Kat had a hand in this. "It figures."

"What does?"

**End Chapter Four... Love is Over!**


	5. Knowledge

**Blood Scrawled Note:** It's been soooo long. Back in August of 2011, I got a new laptop, I took a while to play around with that, then Dark Souls hit… Then Skyrim… Holy crap is Skyrim addicting. Though recently it's been Skullgirls. I've also recently gotten back into Magic: the Gathering. To give you some perspective, I dropped Magic back in 2003, well before I ever came here. Yeah, it's been a while for that.

Also a massive lazy streak.

**The King of Dust**

_But ask not bodies (doomed to die),  
To what abode they go;  
Since knowledge is but sorrow's spy,  
It is not safe to know._

_-_ _William Davenant, __The Just Italian__, Act V, scene 1._

**Chapter 5: Knowledge**

Asuna sits at her desk, in her pajamas, looking over her school work. The pencil in her mouth bobs up and down with her thoughts. As she thinks, the doorbell to their room sounds.

"It's eight at night. Who'd be visiting at this hour?" She stretches backwards and yawns.

Konoka sits down a serving tray and answers the door. Haruna, Nodoka, and Yue are on the other side.

"Negi-sensei, we've got some questions about today's class." Haruna politely barges her way in, followed by Yue, leaving Nodoka to enter nervously.

"What the heck is with you three? It's far too late at night for this." Asuna's complaint goes unnoticed. It's not long before an improvisational "study" party gets going behind the redhead. As her nerves grind like a manual transmission, another ring from the doorbell, as well as some accompanying forceful knocks, gets her attention.

Ayaka stomps in and boldly asks, "Asuna-san, what is going on here and why are _you_ sharing a room with Negi-sensei?"

"Oh Iincho-san! We're having a study group," informs Konoka.

"A study group?" asks the rep, her tone becoming less loud. "Well, as the class rep, I'd be remiss not to attend." She takes a seat near the others.

The group soon grows to a dull roar as the atmosphere becomes light. It's not long before Asuna's transmission finally burns out.

With the sounds of gears grinding, she yells, "Get out and go have your party elsewhere! Some people are trying to concentrate!" She slams the door. "…Pains in my ass."

"Is everyone from our class in this building?" Negi asks.

"Of course. This is a boarding school and we all live on the fifth and sixth floors since we're second years." Asuna gets a good whiff of Negi as she stands over him and looks at the floor plan he happens to have. "You smell."

"Wh- What?" Negi asks like he's confused, but he knows he's been busted.

"You smell bad. Have you taken a bath recently?"

"Er… Well, I've been so busy since coming to Japan that… And I…"

"You're not sleeping in here smelling like that."

"But… You see…" His voice becomes small and distant.

Konoka leans in to hear… "You hate taking baths?"

"Oh that's it! I'll wash you myself if I have to." Asuna grabs the poor child by the collar and drags him off to the bath.

* * *

Outside, the moon shines bright over the grounds of Mahora, a brilliant silver shard in the sky. Plenty of people go about their business, most of it social. A few cars enter and leave, their lights twinkling as they get farther away.

Just outside the city he stands, the black cloaked monster… the King of Dust. He sniffs the air, his dry nostrils twitching with each inhalation.

"Vi taoul kous daguam chikohk…" He takes a single step forward before bringing his trailing foot up to the other one, coming to a sudden stop on the other side of the barrier before continuing on his way.

* * *

Out in the forest surrounding Mahora, in a small cottage, a small blonde vampire lives with her robotic servant. She is sitting around, reading an old tome, with its tattered cover made from the skin of some long dead animal, when a red spatter lands on the dry page. Looking down, she sees that her delicate clothing is starting to get soaked the blood flowing from her nose.

Something big has come.

She tries to stem the flow as it intensifies, beginning to walk to the kitchen while pinching her tiny nose. A sharp pain forms in her head, causing her to drop to her knees with a ring resonating in her head. Her stomach does a cartwheel as she vomits up a good amount of some of the precious red fluid.

Quickly, her eyes glaze over as everything gets blurry and the flow of blood from her nose and mouth slows to a trickle. In a sudden jerking motion, her arms quit supporting her and she lands face down in a small pool of her rapidly cooling blood.

Before she passes out, the last thought to cross her conscious mind is "Is this sensation what it is like to die?"

* * *

The King of Dust walks about the late night wanderers of Mahora, completely unseen. He walks with a leisurely purpose. The barrier curse, as well as the looming world tree, told him quite a lot. He could go all out and wipe Mahora off the map, but facing down a fleet of mages just sounds like an annoyance.

He cranes down slightly and looks a woman in the face as she waves to someone she knows down the street. A slight hiss works its way out between his teeth.

"Wux * xihuulina* baeshrai!"

One murder wouldn't raise suspicion… But with the Shining One here, someone might be alerted. She goes on high alert and the whole thing goes to shit. This will require more "delicate" handlings.

"_Si jalla fins wer lastu dryicir goawy…"_ he thinks, "_Nomeno hewasch nishka qe vemcin ariloexokarthel._"

He waves his metal hand, slowly extending and retracting each metallic claw as his hand arcs. His eye lights flare temporarily as the whole of Mahora makes itself known to him. He slowly walks out of the busy section of town, finding a nice, dark, road to walk down.

* * *

Further away, in the same room as Konoka and Asuna, Negi is sound asleep. Not being used to sleeping alone, he begins to sleepwalk. It is not long before he slides into the bed of one of his new roommates.

It isn't long before Konoka realizes she's being lightly kicked. She rolls over to find Negi in the same bed as her and apparently he's dreaming. She gently shakes his shoulder, trying not to pry him from sleep too hard since she heard it was bad to stir sleepwalkers.

"Wake up…" she whispers. Possibly being too deep, she gives up and moves as far over as she can without resting on the uncomfortable edge of her bed. She doesn't really mind and it will all get settled in the morning.

Two minutes pass before he starts screaming.

At first it's just a whimper, nothing worth noting. But is quickly escalates into him screaming bloody murder. Konoka and Asuna wake up and try to calm him down but to no avail. His screaming eventually wakes up other people.

"I'm gonna go get Kat," Asuna tells Konoka. "She's probably got some hand in this."

Negi quiets down, but still looks at the two girls in utter horror, his breathing rapid and shallow, and a thin film of sweat on his skin.

As Asuna walks down the hall, a number of the other girls have gathered into the hallway, all looking in the direction of her room, or chatting amongst themselves about the situation. Ayaka stops her in the hallway with a hand on her shoulder.

"What is going on in there, Asuna? Are you trying to wake us all up so early in the morning?" she asks.

Asuna lifts the representative's hand off her shoulder. Her voice is very tart, "I don't know what is going on Ayaka. Now go bother someone else."

"Well…"

Before Asuna can even knock on the door, Ako opens it. "Ah! Uh, Oh. Hello Asuna-san."

"Hello Ako-san. Is Katsako-san in there?"

"Yeah… Come in. I'll get her up." The two girls enter the room as Ako turns on a light. "Say, what's going on anyway? I thought I heard screaming coming down from your end. You guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're all fine. The screaming is why we need to see Katsako-san."

"Hey Kat… Asuna-san's here to see you." Ako pushes on Kat's arm.

"Huh… I'm awake…" She looks blearily around and notices Asuna. "What's up?"

"Negi-sensei is in Konoka-san's bed, screaming his head off. He just stopped, but he's acting odd. He's–!"

Before she can continue, Katsako jumps out of bed, her pink pajama pants catching the air just right to puff out. Without another word, the blue haired girl is hurrying down the hallway, dodging the others as she goes.

" 'Scuse me…" she interrupts as she slices through a small clot. She turns into Konoka and Asuna's room to find Konoka holding Negi in an embrace from behind. Asuna catches up while she stands there briefly.

"Katsako…?" Konoka asks.

"I was afraid this would happen. The stress of today must have gotten to him. It happened the night before he graduated too." As Kat reaches out to touch him, he reels back as if she was branding him. "Come on Negi… You know who I am." She reaches out again and touches his temples.

"Neeeegiiiii…" Her voice is as gentle as a light spring breeze.

His breathing starts to slow down. "Miss Katsako? Konoka-san?" He looks around. "What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare is all. A really bad one at that," Konoka tells him. "Asuna went to go get Katsako since you wouldn't wake up."

"I figured," Asuna explains, "that it had something to do with your guys' magic or something."

Kat sighs. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a mage, or a wizard, sorcerer, conjurer, or anything of the sort?"

"And I still say you're up to something. How else did you do that?"

"Did you try it yourself? Or did you come right to me?"

"We did try to calm him down, but it didn't work."

Kat tilts her head a bit. "Really? Huh… Anyway, if you want me to, I can stay and make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I think I should be fine, Miss Katsako," Negi tells her.

"If you say so." Kat turns back to Asuna and whispers, "Make sure he gets a glass of water before he goes back to sleep. It seems to calm him down. And I want to say that I'm really sorry for this."

"Did you do something to him?" Asuna asks.

"No, but I'm afraid I can't tell you either. What he saw has a tendency to… Well, it's late." She speaks up again. "Goodnight Negi, Konoka-san, Asuna-san…"

Asuna watches her leave. "It just gets weirder and weirder. Come on Negi, Let's get you a glass of water before you go back to your own bed."

Once their room door closes again, the hallway clears out.

* * *

Morning and school comes all too soon. Negi sits at his desk in the Teacher's Room, pondering exactly if he can help Asuna. After the incident this morning with trying to help her on her paper route, his confidence is at an all-time low. Some of the other teachers comment that he's not looking too good today.

"Anya… Sis… Help me…" he mutters.

"_I wonder if I really can be a teacher…_" he ponders to himself. He glances down at his staff, which fills him with a renewed vigor.

"I'm going to do my best!" he boldly declares, fist clenched in determination.

"That's the spirit, Negi-sensei," says Shizuna from behind him.

"Ah! Shizuna-sensei! Hello and good morning!"

"Good morning to you as well. I have '2-A's After Class List' for you from Takahata-sensei."

"Er… What's that?"

"Well, Takahata-sensei would give out minor tests and after class he would give extra lessons to the students who scored low marks. In fact, here's a list of them." She hands him a piece of paper with several of his student's faces on them.

He stifles a laugh when he sees Asuna's face on it. "I see Asuna-san is poor at English."

"Yes. It seems though that she rather enjoys the after class lessons. By the way," she leans in to his ear and puts her hands together, "it's the third semester, so getting a low grade now could be hurtful for the exams."

"Of course."

He thinks to himself, "_Oh… This is going to be bad… Wait! I could use this as a chance to prove useful to Asuna-san!_"

"I'll do it! I'll continue to do what Takahata did."

"Okay. Good. I'm sure you'll do a splendid job."

* * *

The five girls on the list stand in front of Negi's desk.

"Baka Rangers assembled and waiting…"

"I'm not a Baka Ranger!" protests Asuna. "So what if I can't study, huh? This place is an escalator school anyway. I'll pass on into high school no matter what."

"Asuna-san… That's not the kind of attitude you should have," Negi advises. He decides to hit where it hurts. "How do you think Takamichi would feel if he saw your English grades? I think he'd be sad about it."

His strike hits home. "Fine… If all I have to do is take this class…"

After explaining everything about the make-up test, everyone sits down and starts. It's not but a couple of minutes before Yue stands up and says she's finished.

"So soon?" Negi takes her test and scores it. "Nine out of ten! You did it! Why didn't you do this on the original test?"

"I hate having to study," she explains. She turns to Haruna and Nodoka to leave.

Haruna half scolds, "You really should try studying sometime."

"Nope. Anyway, let's stop by the bookstore on the way back."

Nodoka bows as Haruna tells her friend, "You'd have more time for the bookstore if you'd crack your school books open."

Negi waves them goodbye as they leave.

"I don't want to damage them. They're expensive."

He turns back to the others when they all state they've finished too. None of the girls get above a four, with Asuna getting the lowest score with a two. "I'll explain the lesson again and we'll give it another shot."

During the test Katsako comes in, greeting Negi with a nod. She takes a seat quietly, bringing out a newspaper and starts reading it.

After the second round of testing, Kaede and Ku Fei both end up with an eight out of ten."Great job you two! You've passed! And Makie-san, you've gotten a six out of ten. You just made it."

"Sorry for being an idiot Negi-sensei." Makie pats the boy on the head.

"Don't think like that now. You're an intelligent person; you've just got to find her deep within you. Now this just leaves Asuna-san…" Upon grading her test she only gets a one, worse than before. "Er… That's fine. Once I'm done here you'll get an eight out of ten easy!" He taps the chalkboard with a pointer. "It took me three weeks to master Japanese."

Asuna feels slighted. "Again, that's because you're some kind of freak."

After a small stack of tries, the highest she gets is a four. Her ego takes a huge bruising.

"I quit. I'm just not cut out for school."

"Please Asuna-san, don't beat yourself up over this. We'll find a way for you to understand this. We just need some more time to work on it."

"Hey Negi-kun, everything going good in here?" says the familiar voice of Takahata. "Oh and Asuna-san's in here too. Don't give him too many problems, okay?" He sees Katsako reading a paper.

"Ta- Ta- Takahata-sensei! I wasn't… That's not…" Asuna stumbles.

"You two do your best, okay? All right. Katsako, don't think I've forgotten our meeting later."

"I haven't," Kat says while looking up from her paper.

"Well, you two do your best now, okay?" Takahata says while leaving.

Asuna begins shaking. "You two… have ruined my life. First you replace my teacher and then you… date my…" She doesn't finish. "AH!" She runs out of the room as fast as her legs will carry her.

"Wait! Asuna!" Negi watches her bolt down the hallway.

Kat instructs him, "Go after her Negi. I'll catch up."

He quickly hops on his staff and flies after her. "Asuna-san! Please wait a moment!" he calls out as the scenery zips by.

"Shut up! Go away! And leave me alone!"

"As your teacher, you know I can't do that!"

The chase lasts for quite a while, with Negi gaining only a little on Asuna. The fast girl stops on a beach and the both of them end up sitting back to back after a while.

"I thought I told you to quit trying to help me," Asuna says while leaning on Negi. "Just stop all these silly plans, okay?"

Negi explains, "As your teacher… I have a hard time doing that. I need to make sure that all of my students are happy and doing well. If they aren't, it reflects badly on me. And a Magister Magi's job is to help those in trouble. So I guess you're just kind of stuck with me."

"Hmm… It's still really strange. Why put so much effort into it anyway? You're just a kid after all."

"There's a special reason for that. There's someone that I really admire, and everyone says they are dead but I don't think he is. He was a man that mastered a thousand spells easy. The most powerful mage ever… 'The Thousand Master.' He traveled the world saving innumerable lives and helping the misfortunate. I met him once a few years ago and he gave me this staff. The reason I want to be a great mage like him is in the hope that someday I'll meet him again."

Asuna fidgets for a bit. "Alright already. I just need to study harder!"

"A… Asuna-san?" Negi asks out of confusion.

"You're trying to be a Magi-whatsit-something-or-other, right? And you need to do your teaching job properly, right? Well… I'll try to cooperate with you."

"Ah! Thank you Asuna-san!" He gives her a big friendly hug.

"Get off me," she protests. After Negi releases her, she mentions, "Now all I have to do is knock Katsako out of the running for Takahata-sensei."

Negi smiles at her. "I wouldn't worry about it. Kat explained to me what she doing this evening. She's having dinner with Takahata in order to learn more about Mahora. She said it was to do her job properly."

"And what job is that?" she asks.

"Well, to be quite frank, she's a bit like my… protector." Negi blushes out of embarrassment.

Asuna begins to chuckle. "She's your babysitter?" Her laughter becomes full-blown.

"NO! She's just a really good friend."

"Either way, I don't want Takahata suddenly sweeping her away to Tuscany to elope or something."

Negi smiles at her. "I wouldn't worry about it. Miss Katsako is…" He falls silent suddenly.

"Yeah?" Asuna asks.

"Come to think of it, I don't really know her much."

"What do you mean?"

The young boy ponders his first meeting with the sky-blue hired girl with the two spikes of hair on the top. "Well… I first met her in the woods near my school. She was bleeding really badly… I think…"

"What do you mean 'you think'? And it sounds like you should be her protector, not the other way around."

"Honestly, the whole thing is a blur, probably from panic. I stayed with her worrying about what to do, afraid she was going to die. I started crying out and my friend Anya happened along. She swiftly went and got some help. I waited at her bedside when she was at the hospital. It wasn't long before she woke up. I remember her kissing me on the forehead." The thought of this gave him that same feeling it did the first time.

"So… You saved her life?"

"I can't begin to claim full responsibility."

"And what was she doing out in the woods anyway?"

Negi thinks back. The whole thing is like a dense fog settling over his mind. Little bits and pieces shine through but nothing too drastic makes itself known, or at least it doesn't seem drastic at the moment. "She was wearing armor."

"Armor? Why would she be wearing armor? And wouldn't she be about ten then?"

Brief frames of memories flash by but it's like looking at them through glass with Vaseline spread all over it. A chill runs down his spine as a nameless fear crawls up from the deepest pit of his mind. His mouth falls agape, as if he's about to say something. Tears form in the corners of his eyes.

"Negi? You okay?"

The bleary eyed boy looks at Asuna. "I… Huh? Oh! Yeah. I'm fine. Just remembering that made me feel a little sad I guess."

Asuna stands up. "Well, let's head back now. Come on!" Asuna knows there is more to the story but decides not to push it. It wouldn't do any good anyway. Negi obviously doesn't know anything.

* * *

Evangeline knows exactly what happened to her with the nose bleed. After she passed out, she felt quite well and flushed with energy both magical and physical. Somehow, someone bolstered her. With what she is, it would take quite a force to cause what it did. And it would have to be Negative Energy.

She knows she's a powerful mage, but to say that she is the strongest of all time… Even she has some humility. Not that she'd ever admit that there are mages stronger than her to anyone and besides, surely they've all died by now.

In recent times there was the "Mage of the Beginning" but what would he be doing here of all places? It certainly wasn't that fool Nagi either, he's dead after all.

She rubs her head, messing up her hair. "What if… I'm looking at this the wrong way?" she asks herself.

Chachazero, despite not being talked to, asks, "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps… Perhaps… I don't know. Maybe it was just something that came and went."

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

"Not at all."

The petite vampire picks up another book and quickly thumbs through it, realizing she's going to be at this all evening.

* * *

Katsako and Takahata stop at a bistro along Mahora's business district. They choose a table outside to enjoy the fine evening weather. Both of them are quickly waited on, with Kat showing great enthusiasm over the whole selection.

"You seemed awfully excited over the menu," Takahata observes.

Katsako smiles broadly and answers, "Well, I love trying new human food. You make some of the yummiest stuff. While I'm here, I wanna try everything. No meal is the same twice, which is amazing when you think about it." She stops abruptly. "Oh! I'm sorry. I don't want to ramble."

"No no. That's fine. We've got plenty of time."

Kat reaches into her pocket and pulls out a map. "I found a small convenience store that sold local maps to help with you teaching me about Mahora. This way we wouldn't have to go walking all over."

"Actually I brought one of those same maps." Takahata reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a copy of the same map. A small smile works its way to his face.

"Well, at least we are on the same page," Kat responds, a similar expression revealing itself. "Listen, before we get much further, there's one thing I want to make sure happens should things get real bad and I get... hurt. I want a private room somewhere secluded. Negi may see me, as well as you and Konoemon, but I have been a bit too 'liberal' with telling people what I am so I'm just trying to cover my bases here."

"Fully understandable. I'll see if we can get the medical team to go along with that. If not, I know someone that will help."

"Who's that?"

"Minamoto Shizuna."

The look in Katsako's eyes changes to a faraway stare. "Hrmm… Okay. She quite the motherly one, isn't she?" She focuses on Takahata again. "So…" She unfolds the small map and puts in on the table. "Where do we start?"

"We could start where everyone's attention is always drawn when coming into town, the World Tree."

* * *

Evangeline rubs her eyes as she is still flipping through books. The thought of Negative Energy runs through her mind over and over. Negative Energy…

"I wish I had access to the Cosmological Orrery at Ostia. I bet it shows the Negative Energy Plane getting close to the Prime Material one," she explains. "That's about all I can think of at this point. About the only other explanation is completely unlikely."

"What would that be?" asks Chachazero.

Evangeline picks up another book that is already sitting open. "Him." She points to the drawing inside. "But he hasn't been seen in so long. I say him because a lot of evil mages simply don't live as long as I do. Most are caught before they get out of hand. The reason I think this is because I felt someone… something pass the barrier at about the same time, but before I could do anything about it, I passed out." She holds the book out so both of her companions can see the black cloaked monster inside.

Chachazero asks, "An old lover of yours, perhaps?" with an impish grin on her face.

"Absolutely not! How to put it to those who don't understand… He is a timeless curse."

"How do you mean?"

"Eh… It doesn't matter. I'm sure he had nothing to do with it. He's passed into antiquity like everything does. Anyway, I'm done looking." Evangeline stands up. "Whatever happened is over and I'm done caring. If something real happens I'll take care of it as it comes."

* * *

"The library is probably one of the more important and underappreciated aspects of the Mahora campus." Takahata flips a cigarette out a pack. "Most students don't really appreciate it. If there's anything you don't know, it might be available somewhere in there."

"That one quiet girl… Nodoka and her friends… work there, don't they?" asks Katsako. "Yes, I see."

Takahata slides back in his chair. "It's really hard to hold a conversation with you."

"Huh? Oh! Sorry. I guess all this new stuff was making me a bit excited. I'll try to keep it under control."

The teacher laughs it off. "First it was the food, and now it's the library."

"I've been trying to learn from humans. I know you don't have a lot of time, no offense. I just try to do as much living as I can, just like you. And your food is so varied and wonderful I can't help but to try all of it. A new dish is a new life experience! Each restaurant is a new book full of possibilities and subtle interplays of cosmic forces! One thing could change a person's life for the worse or the better!"

"I wish I had you enthusiasm for everyday things."

"You can always start! Everyday can be the start of a new beginning!"

Takahata laughs. "I've never looked at it like that."

* * *

Konoemon Konoe sits in his chair; his back issuing a complaint like it's been doing a bit recently. He turns around when he hears the sound of a child laughing. Despite hearing it, there's no one there.

"Excuse me?" he asks thin air.

Sometimes his office becomes too cold for even his own sake. And while he admits he is getting on in age, he hates to think senility is getting him. A cold metal hand pauses just above his right shoulder. Its fingers flick about once, seemingly unsure whether or not to grasp the old man or not. It lifts away and its owner, The King of Dust, walks around and sits in one of the chairs.

"Your death, while certainly not a surprise to anyone, would still alarm her no doubt," The King says in the hollow of a winter's chill, crossing his legs as he sits. "I cannot push my luck, and choose not to. But I can push you." Waving his hands past each other in a small horizontal arc, he intones, "Sia ezouke ui dout ekes tepoha jaka."

He touches the old man with his left hand. In a flash, he draws his hand back. "There's quite a bit more to you beyond face value, old human."

Konoemon realizes something is happening and reacts in the blink of an eye. Sadly his eyes seem to fail him as nothing is visible.

"Don't bother old man, neither your eyes nor your ears will ever be enough," The King's multiple voices practically taunting him. He hunches down and levels his eyelights with Konoemon's eyes. The small spheres of light seem inquisitive. "Though there is a lot of power behind you, the faults you have are easily exploitable. Such are the living."

With a flash of his lights, the King asks, "Quick, tell me. I felt it when crossing over the barrier, who is the most powerful undead here?"

Hypnotically, the older man answers, "A vampire girl named Evangeline McDowell. Also known as 'Dark Evangel,' and 'Advent of Evil.'"

The last name makes the monster laugh on the inside. "She must not be important enough for me to have heard of her. Where does she reside? Any known weaknesses? Tell me."

"Just north of the old abandoned academy building to the east. She is unable to use her full power due to the barrier. She is unable to cross it without experiencing severe pain."

The King of Dust draws back his lips in a toothy grin. "Now why would you seal a vampire inside a school? She can't be very powerful, unless someone was trying to change her for the worse. You might be worth tapping for information later. Congratulations human, despite having my breath rattle in your lungs, you've earned your life for now." He walks away but stops short and turns around. "Wait. How could I be so stupid? Who… Who sealed her here?"

"Nagi Springfield. Also known as 'The Thousand Master.'"

"That name also means nothing to me. I need to know more." The King holds out his gauntlet-clad hand and yellow energy flows from Konoemon's mind into the dead monster. Flashes of memory pass by on the streams. Konoemon steps back, eventually bumping into his chair and sitting down. "I've learned so much. But there's still a little more we need to do. I need to be able to observe and interact. However, I can't risk detection.

"You shall become my gear in the great machine of this school."

* * *

Takahata and Katsako finish their meals and continue on with talking about Mahora. They stroll along, and walk all the way to the World Tree. Its massive branches reaching out like great wooden arms.

Takahata introduces it. "This is the World Tree at Mahora. It being one of the few attractions that bring in a bit of vacation money, the library being another popular one."

"You really shouldn't have mentioned the library back at dinner. I could lose myself for a while there. It's so gold of me, I know."

Takahata, in the last hour, has learned to just skip over things she says since the explanations are just as confusing as what she said to begin with. He doesn't ignore her comment, but neither does he ask for clarification.

Katsako reaches out and touches the tree. "Still quite vibrant. Hmm…"

"I have to say, you're very confusing."

Kat turns and gives him a quirky smile. "Sorry if I talk over you. Sorta little comments mostly for myself. It's a bad habit." An awkward moment of silence passes before Kat speaks again. "Well, I should get back. Who knows what kind weird things Negi is being subjected to?"

"Yeah, they can be a bit of a handful. So I guess I'll catch you around."

"Sure thing. And see you around some time," Kat says as she turns and walks away.

"See you," Takahata says and heads off in his own direction.

BREAK

The King of Dust

**End Chapter Five…**


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